February 19, 2008 7:38 AM PST
Credit Suisse's Jason Maynard moves from analysis to investment
Jason Maynard of Credit Suisse has been one of the most influential analysts in the software industry. Jason called for then-Novell CEO Jack Messman's head...and got it. He has been a sharp critic of Red Hat in recent years, suggesting that Red Hat underutilizes its brand assets. Jason has called out the transforming influences of SaaS and open source while still appreciating the execution of Oracle and Microsoft.
Jason Maynard has been very busy and very influential indeed.
Now he's leaving us, however. As he announced last week in an email, Jason is joining the investment side of Credit Suisse's business:
The last ten years in software has been a wild ride -- from the dot com bubble and bust to the M&A consolidation and now re-generation with on demand computing. Segments of the industry are clearly maturing, but disruptive innovation in both technology and business models will drive significant opportunity. The next phase is going to be even more exciting, as aspects of software, communications, hardware and media all converge to create new services for consumers and businesses. This expanded opportunity is why I am embarking on my new journey as an investor.
I wish Jason the best of luck in this new venture. He deserves it.
Matt Asay brings a decade of in-the-trenches open-source business and legal experience to The Open Road, with an emphasis on emerging open-source business strategies and opportunities. Matt is vice president of business development at Alfresco, a company that develops open-source software for content management. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. You can follow Matt on Twitter @mjasay. 
