The economy is actually helping OpenLogic's business, as companies investigate whether open source can save them money, Weins said. "The second half of last year saw a tripling of inbound requests for quotes on support pricing," she said.

Typically, 10 to 20 percent of inquiring companies sign on for service, she said. OpenLogic now has more than 80 customers. Some have enterprise-wide contracts, while others just want support on a couple of open-source projects, according to Weins.

OpenLogic's internal teams, who have "broad expertise across a wide variety of projects," provide first and second-level support, she said.

Those staffers are backed by some 200 "OpenLogic expert community" members who are under contract. Finally, OpenLogic partners with commercial open-source vendors who "backstop us when we can't resolve a problem," she said.

OpenLogic is planning to use its existing staff and resources for the new services offerings, but "if we get a large uptake we'll grow accordingly," Weins said.