Now, with many open-source software companies also offering subscriptions, the approach seems comparatively ordinary. So it should come as no surprise that Digium, which commercializes the open-source Asterix software for Internet telephony, announced this week that it's chosen the subscription model to sell its wares.

The difference here is that Huntsville, Ala.-based Digium sells hardware along with the software, a product called the Digium Asterisk Appliance. In the past, the company sold software, hardware and service as separate options. Now the company is switching to the new model, under which customers will be able to pay for silver, gold and platinum levels of support and warranty subscriptions, a company representative said.

The cheapest level of support, silver, starts at $1,145 per year, and is available in the United States and Canada for the company's voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) product. The company said international versions of the appliance will be available next quarter.

Source: CNet