Supporting (or at least not actively stopping) third-party firmware can also make sense for a company like Linksys not that they aren't part of Cisco.
Before somebody could purchase a less expensive Linksys wireless router, install a third-party firmware, and use it like the would a more expensive Cisco AP. So for Cisco this might take away from their higher end lines. For the new owners it's just an added sale that they wouldn't otherwise get.
It's too bad that HTC didn't get how important their XDA supporters were to staying relevant in the mindshare of the early adopters, who in turn recommend hardware purchases for the mainstream consumer. It's the same thing with Linksys.
Before somebody could purchase a less expensive Linksys wireless router, install a third-party firmware, and use it like the would a more expensive Cisco AP. So for Cisco this might take away from their higher end lines. For the new owners it's just an added sale that they wouldn't otherwise get.
It's too bad that HTC didn't get how important their XDA supporters were to staying relevant in the mindshare of the early adopters, who in turn recommend hardware purchases for the mainstream consumer. It's the same thing with Linksys.