Going open source to prepare the future

Open source has been in Pryv’s DNA since day one. Releasing the core of its software Pryv.io in the public domain was first done for trust, explains Evelina Georgieva, co-founder and Chief Business Development Officer at the Vaud based startup. It’s already been 5 years that the startup’s licensed customers have full access to the source code of the software that they buy. Today, the venture has 36 components released in the public domain, with some of them being open-source already for 7 years from the day they were developed.

The “Why do we do this” is more a question of timing continues Evelina Georgieva. During the covid-19 lockdown, Pryv sponsored several projects by providing its software free of charge. But even "for free" was sometimes not sufficient for projects that didn’t have the structure to sign an agreement, explains the co-founder. This triggered a decision that has been prepared for a long time: Pryv.io has been developed from day one to be opened. As a result, 99,9% of the open-sourced version code comes directly from their latest release of the standard commercial version. After a 5-minute set-up scheme you have a privacy-by-design, personal management backend that can be used in a commercial environment. This is possible without talking or notifying the startup.  

Positive response from community and customers 

Following the release, Pryv received an impressive amount of positive feedback not only from the community, but also from its current customers and network. Speaking about the general response, Evelina Georgieva further explains: “We have chosen one of the most permissive Open-Source licenses, and this has been recognized by the community. On the another hand,  we are receiving some remarks related to not engaging the community to contribute to the source code of Pryv.io. This is an important point for us. Pryv.io and Open Pryv.io are software maintained and developed by the startup's in-house team. Anyone can make a copy, modify and enhance its own version, but then it will be another version of Pryv.io.”

To monitor the interest in using Open Pryv.io, the startup follows the "hits" on its documentation and the number of downloads These numbers are over their expectations and confirm the company did the right thing. The most important metric for Pryv is the number of questions and their content. 

Good for expertise and business

Going open source has had other benefits such as raising interest around Pryv’s expertise. This move also shows its competency, transparency and exposes the startup’s proficiency. The startup is here eager to get comments and why not even criticism. From now on, consent and personal data management can be done rightly, with no excuse for preserving privacy. The solution is available and can be used right away. Up to now each project has to build its own flavor of the very same “boilerplate”. Pryv thinks that the landscape is changing fast and is looking for competition.

The move has also been wise on the business development side, making prospection easier and helping the team be more efficient with its resources. As Evelina Georgieva explains, Pryv’s competency is not only on the software, but also in the startup’s capacity to support its customers’ warranty and compliance which is mandatory to pass certifications or audit actions. Companies can start prototyping and even going commercial without talking to the team. Pryv will be there when they reach a stage or scale that requires extra compliance or support. 

Improving and growing

In regards to Open Pryv.io, first, an onboarding documentation will be released. The company listens carefully to the feedback it receives. Following some requests, the team identified that there is a need for releasing this onboarding documentation. It will be very helpful to support the developers in swiftly getting started using Pryv.io. There are also a large set of new features in the pipeline to bring privacy management to the next level. 

On the commercial side, Pryv is executing its growth strategy. The Vaud startup continues licensing the enterprise-class version to projects that require high scalability, compliance documentation and dedicated support. It is worth mentioning that the startup’s business model is based on distribution channels via integrators and software development companies. Pryv pursues engaging with strategic partners and delivering enhanced value propositions to businesses collecting personal and health data. A next financial round will follow to address the market growth and position Pryv’s solution to new markets. 

(ES)