If you were to log in, you'd be able to get more information on your fellow community member.
I think the original text is kind of old now, nevertheless as rob has pointed having a middle man is not going to be effective on the long run, due to practical reasons. That's where FOSS is going to play a major role in the scenario phill explained. With FOSS nothing will come without a cost but,it's gauranteed to be cost effective compared to proprietary software.