The "open source" business

For ages people have been talking about the knowledge organisation replacing the manufacturing and services businesses of yesterday, as the migration to either the low cost or the high tech takes hold... organisations where knowledge workers are the essence of your business.

Over the past couple of months, as I get more into the likes of del.icio.us, Vox, and other knowledge sharing services, I've been wondering whether this is yesterday's news... or in fact totally wrong from day one?

With the computer and phone as cheap as chips, people able to network using the likes of LinkedIn, and work in teams from wherever they want, I'm assuming that providing the "tools of production" be that technology, access to skills or an office environment doesn't really set you apart. Access to capital and a product you have a defendable level of ownership over obviously still do to some degree... but I don't believe that's enough for the long term. Capital is becoming more readily available and if you don't innovate (knowledge workers again) your product will be replaced at the blink of an eyelid.

Now with knowledge also becoming more and more "open source" is it something that a business can really claim to "own" and therefore help set it apart or do we actually need to figure out what an "open source" business looks, feels and works like?

I believe we do and would be interested in hearing your thoughts.