I can understand how keeping the product on Snowcovered would have forced DNN Corp to support the product and therefore be a competing Module Vendor/Developer. I do wonder why DNN Corp wouldn't have just seeked a license to use it within PE? Maybe even changed the name of it to avoid confusion? The module could have stayed in CE/Snowcovered for future customers wanting it. Seems like it would have been a win/win because then DNN Corp would also continue getting sales of it within Snowcovered as well as having it within the PE. So I guess I am curious why this wasn't the direction?

I agree with Kelly regarding the concerns/anxiety as there was no warning. We have to wonder 'what's next' if this was such a surprise. As a major player in the DNN community and ecosystem, as we continue to grow (including additional staff and resources) news like this can really throw out some concerns...

For the record - I don't think that CE is being 'left behind'.. The builds in the past year I feel have proven that. I do feel though that integrators using DNN and modules will look towards other alternatives if they got burnt on this module or others if DNN Corp continued down this path in the future

.-Chad

www.datasprings.com

There are several entities that this ultimately affects and not all can be happy.  One thing is clear, DNN Corp is in the module business.  Whether they sell the modules directly or include them with CE or PRO, DNN Corp is offering modules.   If you step back and look at the big picture this could be a good thing.  Selling skins and modules isn’t all that easy.  Maybe if DNN Corp actually had some experience being a vendor in the ecosystem that many of us have helped build over the past several years they could help us with some of the challenges that we face daily.  Maybe they would use some of their VC to help promote Snowcovered so we all could reach new markets.  Of course, they are already getting a percentage of vendor sales so you would think that would already be part of their plan.  We (vendors) keep hearing that marketing is part of the big plan but nothing seems to ever come to fruition.  So maybe if they actually had a few modules for sale in the marketplace they may help promote the marketplace themselves.  Of course the downside of this is that we end up with a VC funded company, which owns the marketplace and the framework, now building competing modules.  We all know there is more crap on Snowcovered than good.  Maybe this is what the “ecosystem” needs to raise the overall quality of DotNetNuke for everyone.   

A few things are certain after reviewing comments from DNN Corp members on blogs, forums and twitter.  First, the goal of DNN Pro is to provide a “complete solution”.  Second, DNN Corp will not ignore DNN CE and probably keep the product feature differences minimal.  Third, without a strong DNN CE, sales and marketing for DNN PRO becomes much more difficult.  Finally, DNN Corp is a product-based business.  Not only do they need to sell the PRO versions, but they also need to give people a reason to renew each year, despite the fact the license expires regardless.

Personally, I first started using DotNetNuke because it was a great application framework.  It had just the right mix of features and benefits.  Usability always seemed to be lacking, but nothing unbearable.  It was comforting to know that the DNN Core Team (at the time) was committed to providing a strong, stable, scalable and flexible framework.  The Core Team would focus on what they knew best (the core) and module developers would focus on what they knew best, modules.  That just isn’t the case any longer.  Need a good example?  Why does DotNetNuke performance have to be such a hot topic for blog posts, conferences and webinars?  Why do all of these performance topics talk about what to remove and turnoff?  As a developer, when I hear that a feature needs to be removed or disabled in my product, that’s usually a cause for concern.

What if DNN Corp decided to include the Xepient modules in DNN CE and DNN Pro?  Would anyone have a problem with the fact DNN Corp probably just put Peter Donker’s Bring2Mind out of business?  I don’t see anyone complaining about the new Profile or Messaging modules included in DNN 5.3 that will absolutely affect DNN Vendors that have been in the market providing this functionality since the beginning.  Obviously we could compare the features of each module, but I think the bigger question is what modules are next?  To what extent will DNN Corp evolve and add to the core module offerings?  The unknown is the most concerning part in my estimation.  Why should a module developer try to fill a need in the DNN Market today when DNN Corp could turnaround and announce their version tomorrow?

I think we all want the best for the DNN Founders and the DNN Community as a whole, but we all have our own interests as well.  Some of us have built businesses around the DNN Community that are much more than earning a couple bucks on the weekend.  Just like the DNN Founders, some of us have wagered quite a bit on DotNetNuke.

No matter how you look at it, the landscape of the DotNetNuke ecosystem has changed, and it didn’t start because of the Xepient IP acquisition or the first announcement of DNN Pro.  We are constantly seeing changes and I doubt it will ever stop.  The past year has been quite an uncomfortable roller coaster ride from my perspective.  However, some changes you might find positive, some might be unsettling and some might not affect you at all.  Unfortunately, I think we are at the point where some people have to ask themselves can you continue to handle the change or should you go in a different direction? 
 

I've read through the posts in this thread with interest.  If you take away the shock the announcement has made, I think there's a few important points:

- DNN Corp have maintained they are not in the CE module business and taking the module out of Snowcovered confirms this.  While this disadvantages quite a few people, it's better than DNN owning the eco system as developer, distributor and platform owner, which would disadvantage a greater number.

- Removal of the module from Snowcovered provides opportunities for existing compeititors such as Bring2Mind, as well as opening up competition for anyone who wants to provide a similar module at a similar price point.  This is a good thing for those in competition with the module, because it should involve increasing CE sales at the expense of PE sales.

- It's important to remember that modules go out of circulation for a whole host of reasons, and being acquired and integrated into the PE product is about the best of these.  Most of the time it will be because the developer loses interest and goes elsewhere.  At least with this announcement 30-60 days notice are given and anyone with pending projects can acquire licences now before the module goes.

- As Will has noted, DNN Corp are continually eating into module developers turf through feature creep.  It's up to developers to continually refine their product and improve their offerings.  This is in fact the largest risk that a module developer faces, because once it is in the core product for free, it becomes quite a job to upsell people to a third party module.

- As Shaun has noted, the fact that DNN Corp are willing to purchase IP gives module developers a legitimate exit strategy should they choose to do so.  Some may not be interested in this, but others might see it as a way of moving on to other interesting projects and ideas they may have. 

There are always losers and winners in transactions like this, as Joe said above.  I definitely feel for people who have invested time and effort using this particular module (I'm not familiar with it myself) and now find themselves having to cast about for a different solution.  But change is part and parcel of this business and it affects us all at some point.  I personally definitely notice when the standard DNN build includes a feature previously only available as a third-party add-on.  The main thing is to keep positive and keep moving forwards.  Sometimes I think about being a carpet seller or something else that hasn't changed in 50 years but I'm sure I would get bored in no time at all.  Technology is always a flat-out sprint and that's what makes it fun.

I think it's important for people not to overreact and to remember that acquisition activity in a space is actually a positive sign of health in the eco-system.  It would be far worse if developers were just losing interest in modules and disappearing.   Perhaps the only thing in this case that might be improved is an orderly transition out of the market over a longer time-frame by DNN corp.  They could continue to offer the module (as is, branding as is) for a longer period, so that people have the time to find and familiarize themselves with alternatives.