www.FITT-for-Innovation.eu

1. Open Source Business Case
FITT
– Fostering Interregional Exchange in ICT Technology Transfer –
www.FITT-for-Innovation.eu
Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

2. Protection and Openness
IE event 5 oktober 2010
Dirk Frigne

3. Geosparc
• European company based in Ghent
• Active in GIS Software Industry
• Owner of the open source web based GIS
application framework Geomajas
• Partner oriented organization
• Commercially supports Geomajas
• Offers service, SLA and licenses
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4. What is Geomajas
• Extensible open source web-based GIS
application framework, enabling integrated GIS
solutions for businesses and governments.
• It has an integrated client-server architecture,
with a high focus on server-side data integration
through GeoTools or Hibernate.
• It applies your security and business logic on
the server before anything is sent to the client,
resulting in robust applications.
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5. Registration as protection
• Describe the idea, same as with a patent
• Unlike a patent do this by posting your code on
the Internet
• Disadvantage
– (relatively) easy for fast followers
– your own ideas are not patentable anymore
• Advantage
– You are the first and you can prove this
– You can quickly develop your ideas
– You discourage others (encourages them to you ...)

6. Claim your property

7. Openness results in opportunities
•Competitive analysis is easy
•Get users involved
– New rules of competition
•Nothing to hide
– Stay alert

8. Community – ohloh.net
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9. Geomajas and OSGeo
20 Projects
worldwide
All Categories
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10. Further protection
• Evangelize (convincing)
• Cooperate (together strong)
• Community building
• Contributor License Agreement
• http://files.geomajas.org/maven/trunk/geomajas/docbook-
contributorguide/html/master.html#cla
• Modular principle (building on win win
relationships)

11. Plug it in!
Widgets
Client
Extend
Commands
Control
Flexibility
Core Server
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12. Community – Top Contributors
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13. The Future
• Naast default FOSS implementatie
– Voorzien in proprietary state of the art alternatieven
(Mogelijke octrooiaanvraag voor onderdelen)
– Win win relaties met strategische partners
– Controle over de hele waardeketen
• Further publication of new technology as FOSS
• Besides default FOSS implementation
– Provide state of the art proprietary alternatives
(Possible patent application for components)
– Win-win relationships with strategic partners
– Control over the entire valuechain
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14. Conclusion
• First results of FOSS protection are promising
• Not for all programs
• Geomajas is a framework
• Middleware
• Professional use
• Combination with other protective measures are not
excluded
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15. Q&A
• www.geosparc.com
• www.geomajas.org
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