Posted on March 3, 2011 by Simon Phipps
When you procure proprietary software, you buy a right-to-use license and then a support agreement. But when you buy open source, you already have the right-to-use from the OSI-approved free license, so you should compare the subscription cost with just the cost of a proprietary support agreement. Right?
Wrong! The open source subscription includes all the same elements as the combination of both purchases. In most cases, if you are receiving equivalent value, you should expect to pay similar prices.
Read all about it over on ComputerWorldUK…
Filed under: ComputerWorldUK, Procurement | Tagged: Subscriptions | Comments Off on ☝ Open Source Procurement: Subscriptions
Posted on February 18, 2011 by Simon Phipps
The rules for Microsoft’s Windows Phone Marketplace appear to mean that even Microsoft’s own open source license – the Microsoft Reciprocal License – is banned. Read about it on ComputerWorldUK.
Filed under: ComputerWorldUK | Comments Off on ☝ Microsoft Bans Its Own License
Posted on February 16, 2011 by Simon Phipps
There’s plenty of talk about how Nokia’s embrace of Microsoft’s Windows Phone has doomed Nokia. But has Nokia’s embrace actually doomed Windows Phone? Read my views on ComputerWorldUK.
Filed under: ComputerWorldUK | Comments Off on ☝ Nokia Dooming Windows Phone?
Posted on February 14, 2011 by Simon Phipps
Document Freedom Day is March 30th this year. Why should you join in? See my article on ComputerWorldUK!
Filed under: ComputerWorldUK, ODF | Tagged: Document Freedom Day | Comments Off on ☝ Why You Need Document Freedom
Posted on February 9, 2011 by Simon Phipps
I’ve two stories about the discovery and resolution of bugs in important software packages – Solaris and Java – that suggest a properly-functioning open source community gets security problems fixed faster than a closed process. Read about it on ComputerWorldUK.
Filed under: ComputerWorldUK, Security | Tagged: Java, Solaris | 1 Comment »
Posted on February 3, 2011 by Simon Phipps
Legacy procurement rules that try to demand custom copyright licenses and the assignment of new copyright to your company could be costing you dearly. They could be preventing you getting the freedoms open source brings, and along with them the flexibility and control that will make you competitive. It’s worth fixing the rules and gaining the freedoms.
Read about it on ComputerWorldUK.
Filed under: ComputerWorldUK, Copyright | 2 Comments »
Posted on February 1, 2011 by Simon Phipps
With Oracle’s OpenJDK Project about to announce new community governance, many people have asked what I look for in good open source project and community governance. My personal benchmark is over on ComputerWorldUK today – take a look. I will probably be speaking about this in the Java DevRoom at FOSDEM on Saturday afternoon.
Filed under: ComputerWorldUK, Governance | Comments Off on ☝ The Open-By-Rule Governance Benchmark
Posted on January 25, 2011 by Simon Phipps
Brazil’s new License for Trademarks (Licença Pública de Marca, or LPM) adds additional rights on top of those delivered by open source. It ensures that any trademarks used in the software can be freely used by the community and means that control of trademarks can’t be used to chill the ability to exercise the four freedoms. Is the answer to trademark conflicts like we’ve seen around Hudson and LibreOffice?
Continue reading at ComputerWorldUK
Filed under: ComputerWorldUK, Trademarks | Tagged: Brazil, Hudson, LibreOffice | 1 Comment »
Posted on January 21, 2011 by Simon Phipps
Legacy procurement rules that insist on indemnity from open source subscription suppliers are an unnecessary barrier to open source adoption.
Read about this on ComputerWorldUK
Filed under: ComputerWorldUK, Open Source | Tagged: Indemnity, Procurement | Comments Off on ☝ Procurement and Indemnity
Posted on January 20, 2011 by Simon Phipps
Before Christmas I reported that the Open Source Initiative (OSI) had written to the German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) asking them to investigate the acquisition of Novell assets by the CPTN Group as a possibly anti-competitive move by CPTN’s four members. I described that move as “unprecedented” because it was the first time OSI had chosen to intervene in a competitive situation on behalf of the open source community it represents.
Today, another unprecedented action was provoked by the same situation.
Continue reading on ComputerWorldUK
Filed under: ComputerWorldUK, Patents | Comments Off on ☝ OSI and FSF Collaborate In DoJ Referral
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