It is what it is and I thank Cake for what good it did for me. But as a very long time strong proponent of Cake, it frustrates me a bit to see the tap dancing and finger pointing when ever this comes up. From time to time, someone mentions open sourcing of the code but I think that it never became a actual project. I think more than a few of us were ready to financially support the effort.... but all for naught.
 
I bought the system from Sweetwater on Sept 9,2009. I am sitting here looking at the badgeing on the Console. CAKEWALK (by Roland) SONAR V-Studio Console. The rack is labeled SONAR V STUDIO I/O VS-700r CAKEWALK (by Roland). All Roland labeling are in very small script. I certainly understand that It was a joint Cakewalk/Roland product.
But I guarantee you, the chief cheerleaders for this product were Bakers. I understand the "party line" that it's all a Roland problem. I have used this equipment on many projects and it still works for me in the hybrid system I am using.... as long as I stick to Sonar. I would like nothing more than to simply work in Sonar. However, I need to use PT, Ableton Live, and Logic Pro. I keep hoping that someone will develop a universal cross platform driver that would allow this machine to function in a multi-use system, but it looks hopeless.
However, I must point out that there are problems with other companies as well.  If you use PT like myself and are an HD user, Avid just seriously dumped on us. (Wrong forum, but they have essentially made HD the worst DAW investment ever.)
 
Apparently, the good news is that it looks like we are finally moving towards a standard.  I note that Sonar is apparently Eucon friendly.  
Fully Support EuCon
Apogee - Maestro for Duet, Ensemble & Symphony 64
Apple - Color 1.5 (MC Color only)
Apple - Final Cut Pro
Apple - Logic Pro
Apple - Logic Express
Apple - Soundtrack Pro
Autodesk - Smoke for Mac
Avid - Pro Tools
Cakewalk - Sonar (Pro Only)
Digital Audio Denmark - AX24 Converter System (Pro Only)
Magix - Sequoia 11 (Pro Only)
Merging - Pyramix (Pro Only)
Metric Halo - MIO Console
MOTU - Digital Performer
RED - REDCINE-X
Steinberg - Nuendo & Cubase
[Cubase users must upgrade to Nuendo for Pro Product Support]
The Foundry - STORM
ToolsOnAir - just:live

HUI & Mackie Control Apps
EuCon Supports these HUI & Mackie Control Protocol Applications
Propellerheads - Reason
Ableton - Live
 
Anyway, at this point, I'm thru worrying and fretting over it. It is a pretty good product for what it was originally intended and I have enjoyed it. It just sucks to realize that it is an orphan product and is pretty much done.  
 
I have learned something here though. I am never going to buy a product that is tied to one piece of software... ever.  I have gotten use to just using the mouse when using other programs.. 

May be you do not want to know my (studio noob, without VS devices) opinion, but I hope you can excuse me for participation in this thread.
 
Roland hardware part: hardware->controller (within the hardware)->firmware (for this controller)->USB.... =>
Roland software part: => USB driver => (presence in Windows as Audio and MIDI devices)
 
Cakewalk audio part: (Windows Audio device) -> Sonar
Cakewalk controller part: (Windows MIDI device) -> CS Plug-ins (Open Source!) -> Sonar
 
Note that Cakewalk has participated in SC Plug-in part development ONLY. Cakewalk is not hardware company, they do have people for that, I doubt they have ever seen VS schematic or even the USB driver source.
 
And so:
1) Cakewalk or someone else (since open source) can change VS surface inter-operation with Sonar. Several users have required skills, but (from what I know) no one from them has VS.
2) No one except Roland can change other parts.
 
EuCon is yet another protocol. So VS has a protocol on top of MIDI (like Mackie Control/HUI), Avid (Euphonix) has a protocol on top of TCP/IP. Both are not providing ANY operation in ANY DAW. They just define how to inform the DAW that "Knob X was turned left by Y ticks" and so on. Some DAW specific program (CS plug-in in case of Sonar) should "translate" that messages into concrete operations. There is no general rules there which can be applied to any DAW. Like with MIDI specification, something is "naturally" common, for example if you have a fader you probably want it control the Volume. But there is no protocol enforcement nor proposal to do this. For example MIDI PitchBend message normally control the Pitch, but in Mackie Control Protocol it is used for faders and so it controls the Volume.
Last note: EuCon Sonar plug-in is not Open Source, EuCon Protocol (unlike Mackie Control) is not Open either.