IS SABLD should be free

I originally meant to write about this blog 6 months ago. However, for some reason it ended up in my drafts list never to bubble up again until now.

I really wish that Macrovision would release the InstallShield Stand Alone Build Engine without any licensing restrictions or with some type of resellers program. I think this would be inline with Microsoft's MSBuild technology.

When I engage with potential clients, I frequently encounter customers who want to outsource their small installs but they are afraid to go with InstallShield because of the initial tools investment. They will actually go down the path of reinventing the wheel with lesser tools because of their understimating of the amount of work involved.

The reality is that these customers typically only need to be able to build their project, `own` their source as a work for hire and occasionaly bring in an outside consultant for maintenance without the full blown expense of InstallShield.