Let's discuss the main concepts in the development of BGERP Program.
Plugin - an optionally connected part of the Program functionality.
Customer - a company or a person using the Program.
Support - a company or a person, providing service of setting up and maintaining the Program.
Subscription - agreement between Customer and Support. Confirmed by file, containing following information:
The Subscription file is allowed to be used with only one copy of the Program, excluding test servers.
Owner - person who develops and maintains the plugin.
Monthly Customer receives an E-Mail from Support with an invoice for services for the next month. The invoice contains both: fees for the Plugin Owners and Support service itself. After payment, prolonged Subscription file is sent to E-Mail.
The Plugin Subscription fees can be calculated in the table. The cost and scope of Subscription Support services are calculated individually for each contract.
The process of Program development and maintenance is rather complex. Besides of high qualifications, it requires complete opposite skills from performers. Excellent soft skills, quick reaction and multitasking are needed on the step of collecting requirements, approvals and support. Capability of deep concentration on certain topic is necessary during development.
It is almost impossible to combine such opposite qualities in the same people, that's why the following roles are involved in the process:
Support is at the forefront of communication with the Customer. Besides of support and maintenance, he performs sales, paperwork functionalities, and also collection and formalization of requirements. Customer feels like he interacts only with Support.
Owner - is a developer capable to develope and maintaine his Plugin. The Owner gets fee from Customers using the Plugin through the Subscription algorithm. The Owner makes the final decision on all changes coming to the Plugin. The ownership of the code is not legally secured, the Plugin can be copied and further developed by new Owner.
BGERP - is free open source software. Any Customer can get source code of the Program along with the binary distribution. The repository available by the link is always an up-to-date copy of the master branch of the main repository. The code is open under the terms of the GPL v3 license.
Due to this simple condition, the Customer has full control over the Program. He decides where to run it: on his hardware or in the cloud. Where to store data, which Plugins to use, when to update the Program. The Program logic can be analyzed by a source code review.
In general, Customer is independent from the Support and the Owner. It is possible to easely develop your own Custom plug-ins or insert changes to the Program. Modification of the main Program is also legal, incl. change of Subscription verification. In this case, Customer just doesn't get the support services and guarantees. If the Customer distributes modifications of the Program, source must also be opened according to the GPL requirements.
The Subscription algorithm in combination with open source ensures the most fair relations between users, developers and support. The dependence between customers and executors are removed. The contract is valid only as long as it suits all parties and can be adjusted in any month.