On 10/15/06, Vamsee Kanakala <vamlists@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Why not? You're forgetting that most academic projects go nowhere near a
market, and most of them continue to remain 'of academic interest'. If
they do, they will take a long time to mature into marketable
technologies. I'm not saying universities play any lesser role in
innovation - their role is indisputable in basic research, which most
companies shy away from.
the market, and what technology/product might or might not work. They
have a more ready understanding of the current big problems faced by the
industry and are willing to deploy significant capital if you can
provide a solution.
Just imagine the cash held on to by Microsoft coporation (30+ billion
dollars), and how it could have fuelled innovation if released to theI doubt it, unless you 'release' the money to universities (for specific
shareholders.
projects) or fund startups with that money. Most shareholders of big
companies are pension funds, institutional investors and regular people
employed in other fields, but are interested in making money on the
stock market. Paying dividends would make them happy, but not much apart
from that.
solve your problems - provide facilities - provided you can pay the
money. They are not morally obligated to serve the society, but they do
anyways because they create jobs, increase your standard of living,
deploy capital efficiently, etc. Are you, as an individual, obligated to
'serve' the society? It's your choice. So why do the rules change for
corporations? After all, they are just a bunch of people operating under
a common entity. If they want to make money, they have equal right to
take the position.
(of course, we all 'serve' the society much better than most NGOs by
paying taxes - which of course, is possible only if there are enough
jobs to go around - and we all agree it's the premise of the private
enterprise)
reduces the barriers for startups to operate - and students to gain
hands-on knowledge.
definitive competitive advantage, you can't afford to throw your source
code away. Because, your technology is what gives you the competitive
advantage. Yeah, you can use open source tools, definitely (yes, I'm
hinting at big G) but your 'crown jewels' cannot be open-source. They
set you apart from the rest of the pack - you build your products with
blood, sweat and money for a reason.
design plans? No. It's highly secret, their future as a corporation
depends on them. It's their right to have it & keep it secret because
they invested in it, and they expect a reasonable return for it. You
think you can do better?