Abstract

The case examines the open source innovation process at Mozilla Corporation (Mozilla), the company that introduced the second most popular internet browser - Firefox. The case begins explaining the way Mozilla came into existence. Later, it discusses the manner in which the company managed its various projects that had active contribution of developer community, both in strategic decision making and project execution. The case also discusses in detail, the marketing efforts of Mozilla to promote the open source software products. The case concludes by providing a glimpse into the future prospects of the company and the competition it faces

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Understand the open source innovation process at a software company. Identify the kind of leadership required to manage open source projects. Recognize the nuances of marketing open source software products.

Keywords

Mozilla Corporation, Firefox, Open Source Innovation, Software Development, Project Management, Netscape Communications, Open-source Community, Mozillazine.com, Mozilla Value Network, SeaMonkey, Software Release Cycle, User-perceptible Performance Metrics