Open Source Executive Strategy Summit

The Eclipse Foundation is organizing an invitation-only one day Open Source Executive Strategy Summit for executives who are responsible for their organizations open source strategy and participation.   The purpose of event is to answer two questions: 1) 'What Open Source Strategies Are Working Today?' and 2) 'What Will Work in the Future?. The Summit will feature industry speakers, case studies and group discussions that analyze the different aspects of an open source strategy, including product strategy, licensing, development models and community building.   Participants will have the opportunity to learn the success factor and challenges of existing open source strategies.

The Summit agenda includes presentations and discussions.  Featured speakers include:

1. Open Source Is Not A Business Model – Matt Aslett, Analyst,  451 Group
   slides (pdf)

   Abstract: Matt Aslett writes extensively on open source topics for the 451 Group.  He recently published a research paper, ‘Open Source Is Not a Business Model’, that attempts to answer the question “How do vendors generate revenue from open source software?”.  The research is based on analysis of 114 open source companies and presents a framework for developing open source strategies.  In this presentation Matt will present the strategy framework and discuss how today companies are making money with open source.

2. Optimizing Your Open Source Licensing Decisions – Lawrence Rosen, Rosenlaw & Einschlag Technology Law Offices
   slides (pdf)
   
   

   Abstract: Lawrence Rosen is an expert on open source licensing and an active participant in open source and open standards communities. He provides legal advice to small and large companies on the legal and intellectual property considerations of an open source strategy. In this presentation, Larry discusses open source licensing, issues related to contributing to open source projects and other IP issues that organizations need to consider when participating in open source communities.

3. Case Study: Actuate’s Open Source Product Strategy – Paul Clenahan, Actuate VP of Product Management

   Abstract:  Actuate was an early member of the Eclipse Foundation and the major contributor to the Eclipse Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools (BIRT) project.   In the last couple of years, Actuate’s open source revenue has double every year.  Actuate is quickly implementing an open source product strategy that is growing their addressable market and bottom line revenue. 

   In this presentation, Paul Clenahan, VP of Product Management, will discuss how Actuate has incorporated BIRT into their overall corporate product strategy.  This session explores different possible approaches to open source within a product strategy, the approach Actuate has taken, and looks at the challenges you need to consider in your strategy to ensure it is successful.

4. Case Study: The transition of the RAP development team to Open Source – Jochen Krause, Innoopract
   slides (pdf)
   
   

   Abstract: Innoopract has been an active participant and supporter of the Eclipse community since its inception. The launch of the Eclipse Rich Ajax Platform (RAP) project marked a tipping point for Innoopract. It was Innoopract's first participation in an open source project in a leadership role, providing a significant code contributions and most of the committers.

   In this presentation, Jochen Krause discusses the necessary evolution of the project team as they changed their development approach to match an open development model. He will discuss the pros and cons of working in an open and transparent manner and how it impact Innoopract's development culture.

5. Market Research on Open Source Adoption - Jeffrey Hammond, Forrester Research
   slides (pdf)
   
   

   Abstract: Jeffrey Hammond is a principal analyst with Forrester Research. Jeffrey will present some of the trends of opne source adoption derived from the recent Forrester Research's NA and European Software Survey.

6. Panel Discussion: The Future of Open Source and Business

   What is the future of open source in the software business? The panelist will highlight some of the trends, opportunities and challenges they see for organizations adopting an open source strategy.
   
   Panelist:

   • Moderator: Michael Cote, Redmonk
   • Steve Harris, Senior Vice President, Application Server Development, Oracle
   • Michael Enescu, CTO of Open Source Initiatives, Cisco
   • Timothy M. Golden, Senior Vice President, UNIX Engineering, Security, and Provisioning, Bank of America
   • Mik Kersten, CEO of Tasktop
   • Sam Ramji, Sr. Director, Platform Strategy of Microsoft

Registration Information

Attendees must be executives of their organization.  To request an invitation, please send an e-mail to strategysummit@eclipse.org.  

There is no cost to attend the Summit for Eclipse Foundation member companies but you must pre-register. A $500 registration fee will be assessed to individuals not associated with an Eclipse Foundation member.

Registration to the Summit does not include access to EclipseCon. Individuals that want to participate in EclipseCon must register for the conference.

Space is limited for the Summit. Each organization is asked to register only two individuals. Registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-serverd basis.