Considering the hidden costs of the open source model vs. paying up front for a Commercial license

During a discussion with a client about Open Source Modules for Drupal, I was momentarilly stumped by his statement - "why do I have to pay to fix a module that you installed for me? If I take my car to a mechanic and he doesn't fix the car I don't want to pay for it." Ofcourse, the easy answer is "well you didn't pay to develop the module - you only paid us to implement - so why would you expect a warranty?" And herein lies a dilemma for some over Open Source vs. a Commercial License. But the reality is that it all boils down to cost - and for most of us Open Source is the only affordable option when the alternatives range from 8k to 120k/year.

Commercial software:

normally has a warranty attached - i.e. Magento Enterprise e-commerce software costs $8,000/year. Upfront costs might include: software, warranty, implementation. Commercial software warranties may differ on what is covered.

Drupal and other Open Source (OS) projects/modules:

are often FREE to use and distribute (and innovation is driven by the community), if in accordance with the GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE. Bugs are fixed and features are added as time/money permits by the 'community' - e.g. module maintainers, users, business users, etc.. Funding is sometimes in the form of donations, sponsorships, and commissions. Upfront costs might include: implementation, and potentially paying for patches or enhancements (which then could be contributed back to the community to benefit everyone) 

In a nutshell, if you want a warranty you have to pay for it - in some cases upwards of 8k/year. If you don't pay for the software up-front, it probably doesn't include a warranty, and you may have to pay for incremental patch/feature costs if you don't have the patience to WAIT for the community to pay for you. Either way someone has to pay the piper, in money or time, to fix bugs or add features.

Large outfits are turning to the Open Source model because of the value it offers, and this means new entrepreneurial opportunities, as evidenced by the many emerging commercial/'Enterprise' business models growing up around the conventional Open Source model. Take Magento, which offers a FREE & Commercial 'Enterprise' version of the software (built on the FREE Zend frame-work), and Acquia which leverages Drupal core, builds offerings (including warranties) around it, and sells it to 'Enterprise' outfits starting at 8k/year.

The Open Source model reduces your development costs potentially to nil, so all you're left with is implementation. But, you always have the option to develop your own modules - proprietary, OS, or commercial.