using open source for strategic advantage alfred h. essa cio, mit sloan aessa@mit.edu aessa@mit.edu...
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Using Open Source for Using Open Source for Strategic AdvantageStrategic Advantage
Alfred H. EssaCIO, MIT Sloanaessa@mit.edu
EDUCAUSE Live! April 28th, 2004
EDUCAUSE Live! 2
TopicsTopics
• our common challenges• opportunities• analytical framework • demystifying open source• sample projects• predictions and conclusions
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First Things…First Things…
What is the open source value proposition?
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The Agnostic’s LeapThe Agnostic’s Leap
--- Casey Green, Campus Computing Project
“I remain agnostic about open source: I don’t know if it can make the leap from specific, discrete “back-room” applications (think Apache server software) to complex applications intended for those of us who do not have computer science degrees.”
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The Agnostic’s DilemmaThe Agnostic’s Dilemma
“We need to develop creative, collaborative solutions to the dilemma of maintenance and support in our shared software development initiatives.”
--- Annie Stunden, CIO Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison
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Our Common ChallengesOur Common Challenges
• technical complexity• stakeholder complexity• balancing costs and sustainability• educational technology in the
enterprise• sources of value and innovation
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OpportunitiesOpportunities
• innovation• peer review• new generation web• learning communities
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Analytical FrameworkAnalytical Framework
• lock-in• the innovator’s dilemma• user-innovation communities• intellectual commons• intellectual property
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Recognizing and Managing Recognizing and Managing “Lock-in”“Lock-in”
Brand Selection
Sampling
Entrenchment
Lock-In
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Technology DisruptionTechnology Disruption
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User-Innovation CommunitiesUser-Innovation Communities“User innovation communities have a great advantage over the manufacturer-centered innovation development systems that have been the mainstay of commerce for hundreds of years: they enable each using entity, whether an individual or a corporation, to develop exactly what it wants rather than relying on a manufacturer to as its (often very imperfect) agent. Moreover, individual users do not have to develop everything they need on their own: they can benefit from innovations developed by others and freely shared within the user community.”
Eric Von Hippel, MIT
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Intellectual CommonsIntellectual Commons
lawlawmarketsmarkets
architecturearchitecture
normsnorms
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Intellectual Property: The Intellectual Property: The Spectre of LitigationSpectre of Litigation
• SCO vs IBM• Acacia Media Technologies,
Test.Com and patent claims
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Senses of Open SourceSenses of Open Source
• license • software development model• intellectual commons• disruptive innovation
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Open Source LicenseOpen Source License
• roots in “free software”, Richard Stallman
• free implies “freedom”, i.e. the freedom to copy, modify, and distribute the software
• a fundamental divide among open source licenses, “copy-left” and reciprocity
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Open Source Software Open Source Software Development ModelDevelopment Model
The real beauty of open source is not the license, it is the process. --- Martin Fink, HP
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Open Source as an Intellectual Open Source as an Intellectual CommonsCommons
• reciprocity in “copy-left” means that creator benefits from improvements, generating a positive feedback loop
• intellectual commons (my interpretation) also means that the underlying infrastructure for innovation is not proprietary
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Open Source as Disruptive Open Source as Disruptive InnovationInnovation
• some open source projects have signatures of disruptive technological innovation
• but will they be able to bridge the agnostic’s leap (Casey Green) and the agnostic’s dilemma (Annie Stunden) ?
• if so, which ones?
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Open Source RisksOpen Source Risks
• user interface design• documentation• support• feature-centric development• programming for the self• religion• intellectual property
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Sample ProjectsSample Projects
• Open CourseWare, Merlot (content)
• uPortal• DSpace• Sakai• .LRN
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Predictions and ConclusionsPredictions and Conclusions
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