Community Edition uses the AGPLv3 open source license that lets you offer your software to all who wish to use, modify and distribute it freely. The AGPLv3 open source license allows you to use Community Edition at no charge under the condition that if you use Funambol code in an application that you distribute or host, the complete source code for your application must be available and freely redistributable. With this license, you can download, inspect, develop and test Funambol code. Many organizations do exactly this before they contact us regarding a commercial license.
In layman's terms, Community Edition can be freely used for many purposes. The most notable exception is if you change or add to the code and you use the software as the basis of an Internet, hosted, SaaS or network-based service, you must publish your code or buy a commercial license.
Carrier Edition is available under a traditional commercial software license. Carrier Edition includes functionality, connectivity and compatibility beyond Community Edition that makes it suitable for large-scale deployment. It is available with full support, documentation and consulting services. See the following table for a comparison of the editions.
| COMMUNITY EDITION | CARRIER EDITION | |
| Funambol Synchronization Server | YES | YES |
| Native SyncML Client Sync | YES | YES |
| Outlook Sync | YES | YES |
| Windows Mobile / Symbian / BlackBerry Sync | YES | YES |
| Java ME Email Client | YES | YES |
| iPhone / iPod Sync | YES | YES |
| Android Sync (Community Project) | YES | YES |
| Certified Carrier-Grade Scalability | NO | YES |
| High Availability and Fault Tolerance | NO | YES |
| End User AJAX Portal and Server API | NO | YES |
| Gmail & Yahoo! Mail Contacts Import | NO | YES |
| Over-the-air (OTA) Device Configuration | NO | YES |
| OTA Delivery of Mobile Apps | NO | YES |
| SMS Gateway Integration | NO | YES |
| BREW Push Email Client | NO | YES |
| Customer Service Rep (CSR) Web-based Interface | NO | YES |
| Monthly Phone Packs (Updates) | NO | YES |
| Funambol Technical Support | NO | YES |
| Funambol Training & Professional Services | NO | YES |
| Funambol Software Maintenance | NO | YES |
As an example of the premium value provided by Carrier Edition, consider the monthly phone packs that include:
In addition, Funambol's commercial license does not trigger open source obligations such as the need to publish and share your code. Carrier Edition is the basis for the Funambol solution that is provided to service providers as well as OEMs, ISVs and ODMs. To inquire about Carrier Edition, please contact the Funambol Sales team.
Carrier Edition differs from Community Edition in four primary ways -- it:
Here are some guidelines as to whether an open source or commercial license is right for you: