Why open-source is so important for Europe
Some insight about open-source and why it is so important for European research program, in particular the next research framework FP7, to support it.
Context
As IST FP7
is near to start at the end of 2006 the European Commission has started
consultations in order identify the main research topics, i.e. Grand Challenge,
that will shape the next research program. Among the many research domains,
information technologies are of first importance as express by Lisbon and i2010 agenda to
make the EU “the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-driven economy by 2010”.
Open Source
software takes mainly its legitimacy on what is commonly recognize as “software
commoditisation”. Software business is neither based on fees coming from
copyright but rather from different kinds of work ecosystem’s members provide.
Because I think Free, libre and open-source software is not always recognize by current
european research framework we need a strong commitment with governance rules. I would like
to demonstrate that such commitment is relevant for European software industry
to renew with leadership and ensure autonomy on strategic domains.
Interoperability and
standardisation
Interoperability
has been identified as a key issue for European research. According to IDABC
European initiative “Interoperability means the ability of information and
communication technology (ICT) systems, as well as, of the business processes
they support in order to exchange data and enable the sharing of information
and knowledge”. Thus, interoperability concern has a lot of common with
standardisation since it allows sharing the same language. Technology standards
as the expression of a consensus between all industry actors have a key role in
fostering healthy and competitive IT ecosystem.
Open source
plays a fundamental role in the standardization process, especially in the
areas where interoperability is the basis of the economic model. By their
nature, open source solutions may act as reference implementations of
developing standards. The availability of their source code promotes open and
democratic debate around the standard specifications they intent to implement,
making them both more robust and interoperable.
Open-source
position promotes standards since they are at its business cornerstone; an
open-source solution takes all its strength by combination with others open or
closed source solutions and has little to gain staying alone, at the contrary
of some proprietary solutions.
Available
open-source implementation(s) of a standard allows in one hand to validate it
thanks to a real test-case and in another hand to enhance its durability since
such development process is mainly involved for solution based on strongly established
business need. Moreover, availability of an open reference implementation for
free increase dissemination and fast standard adoption.
IST project commitment
As far as
open-source commitment is recognise as a priority, some governance may be
settle in order to express rules that will foster emergence of a rich and
consistent open-source ecosystem from European Commission funded projects.
These rules
will express main arguments in favour of open-source and define some guidelines
on, for example, ways to reuse previous development, licence strategy, etc.
Cartography and business readiness of available solutions shall be assessed in
order to provide clear view for all stakeholders.
Business opportunity for
European SMEs
Open-source
business models allow new comers (especially SMEs) to penetrate easily a new market. Small
start-up companies can enter the software industry. While proprietary software
requires big teams to internally develop and support the product, what matters
in open source initiatives is the community size, not the corporate size. Many
activities are actually managed by the community, lowering the cost of
producing the software, considerably increasing its quality: this leads to
great business opportunities to build lean companies, quicker to improve and
adapt. There is a lot of start-up born around open source projects.
Moreover, open-source
facilitates European IT SMEs to penetrate software market thanks to the mass
effect provided by the European IT market with high skilled level.
Innovative factor and new
working approach
Because OSS involves heterogeneous
groups (i.e. ecosystems) of people working together, it facilitates innovation
strategies and induces new innovative business models. Some classification has already
been produced (see for example http://www.objectweb.org/wws/d_read/marketing/public/FLT-FederatingEcosystems-June05.pdf).
OSS seems to be a good candidate in
order to reach scientific technological breakthroughs and new innovative
models.
Scope for my new blog
Welcome for whom who spend some time to read me.
Let's try to define the editing charter for this blog: I will give some insight about my feeling on technology and approaches I feel more or less comfortable with, I mean principally:
I will also try to give my feeling about Web 2.0 (
O'Reillly) and social networking witch are new subjects for me but very interesting and challenging ones.
My page on LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/jplorre
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