 There
continues to be a lot of hype and mysticism around open source,
both in the technical and business world. Those entrepreneurs and
technologists who wish to be ahead of the curve will have to catch
up with the trends, writes MOHAN BABU
Regular readers of this column are probably acquainted
with the fact that my interests in the field of technology are diverse
and eclectic, and so are the topics I pick for this column. Thanks
to the editor of Express Computer, I get a clean slate every week
and sit and gather thoughts on what I think are topical issues;
sometimes I delve deeper into a topic in which case I write a series
of columns. The open source movement is a topic close to my heart,
something I have dwelt on more than a few occasions in the past.
On mentioning ‘Open Source’ the image of a David versus
Goliath comes to mind of most people, especially given the rivalry
between Linux and Microsoft. I, like a few analysts, like to take
a more holistic view of the open source movement since the real
drivers behind widespread usage are corporate leaders, not just
renegade tech staff at IT shops.
I was intrigued by the title of a book Managing
Open Source Projects in our local library that I happened to pick
up a few weeks ago. As I began skimming through the chapters, I
was captivated by the breath of topics covered by Jan Sandred, the
author. Though the title of the book is a misnomer—it would
have been better to have titled it ‘All you wanted to know
about Open Source’—it is definitely worth reading, especially
if you happen to be associated with an open source project. The
book begins with an ‘Open Source Primer,’ basically
an introduction to open source; and the first few chapters continue
this theme by giving a background on the development of Unix, tools
on the Internet and an introduction to the philosophy behind the
open source movement. The chapters on the Internet economy and business
terms dwell on open source licensing legal and commercial issues.
The section business terms also talks a bit about the dichotomy
between the diverging commercial interests and the drive of volunteers.
I was looking forward to gaining insight into
specifics of open source management in the chapters on ‘Managing
Virtual teams’ and ‘managing distributed open source
projects.’
However, I realised that there weren’t
any unambiguous takeaways since the chapters dealt more on regular
team dynamics, networking of organizations, etc, something that
is already taking hold of our work lives with or without the advent
of open source.
One explanation for this could be that though
developers have been using open source tools and technologies in
projects for a while, selling services bundling open source development
is still at a nascent stage.
Having read this far, the reader is probably
wondering who the real audience of this book is. Though the title
indicates that it is about managing open source projects, would
recommend it more as a primer on what open source software really
is. It would definitely be worth the effort to glance over the book,
especially if you happen to be a business leader or manager tasked
with scanning the horizon for trends in open source movement.
There continues to be a lot of hype and mysticism
around open source, both in the technical and business world, and
this book certainly attempts to clear up some of the fundamentals.
Along with technical journals, the mainstream business media, including
Wall Street Journal, Business Week, et al, have been regularly running
stories on the open source movement. Those entrepreneurs and technologists
who wish to be ahead of the curve will do well to catch up with
the trends shaping up.
On an opportunity front, one thought that came
to mind as I was reading the chapter on managing distributed open
source projects was the need for software service companies to grab
the opportunity to consult with clients considering the open source
option. Most software service companies are yet to jump onto the
open source bandwagon in a big way. By this I do not mean to imply
that service companies are not at all implementing open source projects;
what I mean to imply is that they are not pushing it as an independent
offering to their clients proactively. Organisations and entrepreneurs
who are able to guide clients through the SWOT—Strength, Weakness,
Opportunity and Threat— analysis and help them prepare a roadmap
to embark on an open source movement are going to be in demand.
When this happens, the book on Managing Open Source Projects will
have to be rewritten.
(Book reference: Managing Open Source Projects:
A Wiley Tech Brief by Jan Sandred)
Mohan Babu is a US-based software consultant
trying to find the ‘sweet spot’ where IT meets business.
E-mail: mohan@garamchai.com
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