OSS Watch

IBM proved long ago that it's possible to build billion-dollar businesses with Apache. But SpringSource is the first start-up to suggest that Apache isn't simply a way for big companies to create complements to proprietary cores. Sometimes an Apache core is worth something, too. At least $420 million, by SpringSource's reckoning.

Should we dump all evangelism for Linux and Open Source? Should we immediately stop promoting it? Hardly. We simply need to go about it in a new way. Grab a ruler, pull out your behive hairdo and pick up an apple, because the new way to make converts is.....education.

Creating FOSS Allies Through Volunteerism

The Open Source Definition is somewhat limited in policing the use of the term. It seems steps are being taken to address that.

In just over three years, four companies that Fenton invested in while at his current firm Benchmark Capital, or previous one, Accel Partners, have sold for a combined $1.6 billion. Fenton, who ranks on Forbes' Midas List at No. 50, was an investor in JBoss Inc. (sold to Red Hat Inc. for $350 million), Zimbra Inc. (acquired by Yahoo Inc. for $350 million), and XenSource Inc. (bought by Citrix Systems Inc. for $500 million). So what are the ingredients he looks for in a potential open-source investment?

Given Oracle's aggressive discounts, including its willingness to buy out the remainder of a customer's Red Hat contract, as Gartner reports, one would think that it would be flying high. But it's not. OEL has roughly 2 percent market share, compared to Red Hat's 60 percent market share. Enterprises aren't stupid: if Oracle's Linux story were compelling, they'd be buying. But they're clearly not.

"Cloud computing" (today's terminology for an old concept) represents a combination of factors that are accelerating the transition of common IT activities from a product to a service based economy.

Good balanced IT policy that balances open vs closed source interests

Part 4 of a 4 part series on sustainable software

This document compares the community source and open source development models, and discusses their suitability for projects involving Higher Education consortia.

Traditionally software is produced and distributed following either closed source or open source developments models. Community source is a development model that attempts to find a middle way between the two paths by borrowing elements from both. Communi

The future of mobile applications is the browser according to Google.

List of open source apps important to educaiton sector.

Introduction to the Fundamentals of Free and Open Source Software

A high lievel look at why and how one should engage with open source during procurement.

Microsoft contribute heavily to a better PHP experience on Windows.

A Contributor Licence Agreement (CLA) is required in order to accept third party contributions to an open development project, such as an open source software project. Such third parties do not automatically grant either the copyright of the contribution

Open source case studies