The Tool Factory closed its doors on 31st December 2009.
As you may remember, our co-op is one of few LLP co-ops and we mentioned 2amase LLP in our case study as one of the others. 2amase were closely linked to The Tool Factory LLP.
Their goodbye message lists multiple reasons for the closure, but a key part seems to be a dispute between members about the copyright of their proprietary Business Plan Writer tool. I think there’s a strong resonance between cooperative principles and free and open source software, so I’m not suprised that proprietary software development has contributed to failure of a co-op, but it’s still a shame. Goodbye and best wishes for the future to The Tool Factory workers.
I hope to promote links between cooperatives and free software more in 2010. New Co-operatives UK head Ed Mayo mentioned it in his first speech, so the time seems right. If you’d like to help put on some co-op FOSS events, leave a comment here or get involved in this open co-op discussion, please.
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3 comments so far
1 Davi // Jan 8, 2010 at 1:29 pm
I absolutely agree with you there is a strong resonance between cooperative principles and free and open source software.
2 Dave Kilroy // Jan 27, 2010 at 10:45 pm
Hi MJ, thanks for your comments on Bev’s article – and there is a lot of truth in what you say – however as a one-time member of The Tool Factory I thought I might update you about what is going on.
Although it sounds like Bev is moving to South Africa and taking The Tool Factory with her, most of what it was doing will carry on – I’m still here and still active! And I should think the Northern Irish guy from whom she got the Social Impact Tracker will still be supporting his product.
By the way, the co-operative angle has not been completely forgotten as I became a member of Co-ops UK when The Tool Factory’s membership fell – I have a ‘Supporter’ (or similar) class of membership.
Business Plan Writer is still available at http://www.businessplaninsight.com – a new update is available for existing customers and a new version will be launched soon.
Full Cost Business Planner is still available from ACEVO and I will continue to provide technical support for this and Business Plan Writer.
And finally, I am in the process of moving away from developing software with Microsoft tools for Windows machines – and I’m sure I will feel much better for having done so when I succeed!
Anyway, I look forward to hearing more about your own co-op over a coffee at the next South West Co-ops meeting…
Kind regards
Dave Kilroy
3 Dave Kilroy // Jan 27, 2010 at 10:46 pm
Blast put a bad link into my previous comment! It should have been http://www.businessplaninsight.com
Dave Kilroy