The OSGeo Foundation

The OSGeo Foundation
Professionally leveraging Open Source Geospatial

Asia Geospatial Forum 2011 Jakarta, Indonesia

Arnulf ChristlPresident

Arnulf Christl

Works as Geospatial Systems Architect in his
company metaspatial.President of OSGeo

OGC Architecture Board Member

OpenStreetMap Advocate

Founder of several companies and initiatives,
travels a lot and provides consulting for SDI.

For a living I do...What? Consultation and Implementation of- Spatial Data Infrastructures- Metadata

Why? To leverage your spatial data needs

How: - using Open Source Software- implementing Open Standards- with Agile management

A perspective on Open Source Geospatial

Agenda

Software Development

Proprietary and Open Source Thinking

Free Software Licensing

The Open Source Geospatial FoundationVision and Mission

Formal Structures

Geospatial Open Source Software

This presentation is available for download at http://arnulf.us/Publications

Software development teamSolves the problem

new version is released

Software users have new requirements, find bugs

Code is improved

Problem is identified

Publish Software (or Code)Software Development

Market analysis

Development teamdevelops software

Goal: Sell licenses Product launch

beta version release for beta tester

beta tester reports errors to development team

development team reproduces the error

development team solves problem after OK from pm

Proprietary motivation: Make Money

development team reports to the product management

Proprietary production

Ask questions: When is the software released?When is new functionality implemented?Who cares if something breaks?How many people develop software?What do the others?

It might feel a bit fuzzyand complicated...

Market analysis

Development teamdevelops software

Goal: Sell licenses Product launch

beta version release for beta tester

beta tester reports errors to development team

development team reproduces the error

development team solves problem after OK from pm

Proprietary motivation: Make Money

development team reports to the product management

Proprietary Business Model

BlackBoxPrimary Motivation:Make money

Primary Task:Marketing of differentiation

Associated
Business Model:Restriction of distribution
channels

But this can be much easier!

Primary motivation: Solve Problem

...publish the Source Code!

...and allow anybody to copy it!

Open Source Paradigm

Copying is not Theft

There is a big difference between material theft and digital copying. We have difficulties understanding this because we are material.But our Mind is not entirely material. So we should be able to understand.

A great 60 second cartoon by Nina Paley:Copying is not Theft.

Primary motivation: Solve Problem ...and publish the Source Code!

Interaction with Users improve the Software,

...then release, often!

Open Source Paradigm

(iterate)

Initially the advantages might look rather small

Open Source Development

The Source Code contains all functionality (and only Source Code can be modified).Public access to code improves the quality

Typically bugs are fixed faster

Often more secure due to multiple scrutiny

Innovation is easier and...

Users have full control about what they get

...and many more advantages.

Read http://producingoss.org by Karl Fogel for details

Primary motivation: Solve Problem Publish results

Interaction with Users Improve Software

Release often (iterate)

Open Source Business

Implementation

Maintenance

Consulting

Support

bug fixing

Training

Service Level Agreement

No Monopolies, Highly Competitive!

Maintain specific distribution

Overall Revenue in IT

Less than 10% of revenue in IT is generated through selling software usage licenses.

(i.e. by restricting copying)

Read http://arnulf.us/Cadastre for more details

Now the advantages already appear to be quite sizeable

Restrict copying.Why do they do that? Because re-selling the same thing again and agin is highly profitable!

Why is it not all Open Source? Because the Internet (main distribution media) emerged late in the 1990s)!

Proprietary Business

You are not allowed to copy

You are not allowed to modify

You are not allowed to give away

You are not allowed to improve

You are not allowed to install

You are not allowed to share

You are not allowed to...

Proprietary Licenses

...today we can see a revival in the Terms of Services!

Free Software Licensing

Free Software LicensingNot as in "free beer"
but as in free speech

You are free to:

use it anywhere for any purpose

understand and improve it

adjust it to suit your needs

collaborate with anybody else

Free Software LicensingNot as in "free beer"
but as in free speech

You are free to:

use it anywhere for any purpose

understand and improve it

adjust it to suit your needs

collaborate with anybody else

Free Software Licensing

Guaranteed!

Free Software Licensing

Free Software is a legal licensing model (a vaccine) protecting your interests. The opposite is proprietary software (also 'closed' or 'privative') protecting the vendor's interests.

Nota bene:
"commercial software" is a frequently used misnomer.

Summarizing: Open Source is the superior development modelThe big business has recognized this long ago and provides full Open Source services (IBM). Software vendors adopt Open Source in geospatial including Autodesk, Oracle, esri and many others. Even Microsoft nowadays recognizes that Open Source works.

Open Source Development

If even thedie-hards have adopted it...

Why don't you too?

Yes, but:

Anybody can call anything "Open Source"

And a name does not automagically
make better software!

Using Open Source?

Open Source Geospatial Foundation

http://www.osgeo.org

Your Open Source Compass
...organizes spatial IT

Quality Open Source

The OSGeo Foundation

OSGeo is a global non-profit organization founded in February 2006

Leading voice forGeospatial Open Source

Structure similar to the Apache Foundation

Volunteer based

Funded by sponsorship

OSGeo's Mission

Support and promotethe highest qualityOpen Source Geospatial Software

Provide resources for FOSS4G projects:Infrastructure

Legal

Financial

Promote free and open geospatial data

Create and maintain a quality brand

Create and promote free curriculum

Promote and contribute to standards

OSGeo's Goals

http://www.osgeo.org

Word cloud copied from Paul Ramsey

Support FOSS4G on a global scale

Support local activities and capacities

Facilitate inter-project communication

Build a solid market for businesses and users

Interface with industry and business

Support the education of domain experts not brand-specialists

Many more...

Activities

FOSS4G is the global Conference

Seed event for local activities

Outreach and promotion

Inter-project communication

Workshops and tutorials

Networking

Meeting

The FOSS4G Conference

OSGeo's Structure

CommitteesCommitteesCommittees

Board of 9 Directorsand President

LocalChaptersLocalChaptersLocalChaptersOfficersOfficers25 Officers

LocalChaptersLocalChaptersFoundationProjectsCommitteesCommitteesCommittees

elected by Membership

104 Charter Members Charter Members vote

represent

Sponsors

Mailing ListsYearNumber of ListsSubscribersUnique Subscribers

20081061332310410

20091372064012904

20101642750415423

20111833210919471

http://lists.osgeo.org/

Example activity meter

Quality Control

Project Health InspectionCopyright, licenses, ownership

Development process quality

Documentation, tutorials, support

Community functioning

...

More details are available on the Web: http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Incubation

OSGeo Projects 2009

deegree UMN MapserverMapbenderOpenLayers MapFishMap GuideOSweb mapping

GRASSGISQuantum GISOSSIMgvSIGdesktop GIS

GeoNetwork metadata

Projectin incubation

GEOSFDOGDAL/OGRGeoToolslibraries

MetaCRSPostGIS

PeriodProjectsLOCcontrib12 mo contrib

2007-0047000001822008-11157766360442279

2009-1016134065175472010-031912211439636299

2010-081912767587657301

2011-091915793310743269

Project stats 2011

OpenStreetMap

UMN MapServerMapFishweb mapping

GRASS GISQuantum GISOSSIMdesktop GIS

metadata

GEOSGDAL/OGRGeoToolslibraries

MetaCRSPostGISGeoMajasQuantum GIS MapServerdeegree OpenLayers GeoServerMapGuide OSdeegree GISMapNikVikingKOSMOgvSIGSpatialLiteuDigGeopublisherMapbenderGeoNetwork GeoKettleGMTZOO ProjectFDO

Enterprise ready

Sponsors

Board of 9 Directorsand President

LocalChaptersLocalChaptersLocalChapters

OfficersOfficers25 Officers

LocalChaptersLocalChaptersFoundationProjectsCommitteesCommitteesCommittees

elected by Membership Executive
Director

91 Charter Members Charter Members vote

appoints

represent

Sponsors

OSGeo Sponsors

Sustain the organization

Have priority access to conferences and events

Have executive and expert contacts

Outlook

Foster and support localization of OSGeo software and groups (Local Chapters)

Promote OSGeo & FOSS4G to universities and education

Organize code sprints (which typically self organize)

Legal support for software projects

Have fun

Most importantly:OSGeo works because you participate
in the IT process! Participation includes using,

learning and then

contributing back to the community

Open Source makes IT a safe investment. http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Indonesia

Copyright: Arnulf Christl, metaspatial. This slide set is copyrighted to the commons.

2012Beijing, China

The annual Conference on Free and Open Source Software
for Geospatial

With friendly support by:

Thank you for
your Attention!

http://www.metaspatial.net

References

OSGeo Foundation website: http://www.osgeo.org Wiki: http://wiki.osgeo.org

OSGeo Mailing lists: http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/

OSGeo Incubation: http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Incubation

Support OSGeo: http://www.osgeo.org/sponsorship

Open Source: http://producingoss.org by Karl Fogel

OGC standards: http://www.opengeospatial.org

metaspatial consulting: http://www.metaspatial.net

A note on Copyright: http://arnulf.us/Seven:Copyrights

This presentation is available for download at http://arnulf.us/Publications

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