I almost purchased CQC awhile back. I didn't like the pricing structure, and I didn't like the fact that I had to run a windows box to have it going. This is welcome news, because it's a good piece of software. And maybe, just maybe, it can be ported to *nix with Mono if it's written in .NET. The problem is finding a good core group of developers to work on it.
I just read the post above, and it's kind of sad actually. You pour your life into something for 8 years, and it doesn't work out, it's no good for anyone. He really does have some tough competition though, which are all much better funded. If you don't have the advertising dollars, and the ability to have a booth at the major trade shows doing something like that, then you're finished in commercial sector. And, in the private/DIY sector, you're also not going to do well unless the product is cheap and easy enough to set up that a monkey could do it.
I feel his pain, I've been in the same place.
One thing I might recommend to him is to release the code, but run the repository and kind of "oversee" the project. If the product develops into something where a ton of people start using it, offer a commercial paid version. The commercial version would come with support, and maybe some additional features that not everyone needs (like centralized management for installers). This is a very successful business model for Magento, Alfresco, and many other open source projects. The nice part about open sourcing it is not only do you get people to add features, but you also potentially get some really good "idea" guys.