Updates from August, 2007 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Roberto Galoppini 6:40 am on August 27, 2007 Permalink | Reply  

    European Open Source Projects: Qualipso deliverables on business models (part II) 

    QualiPSo – the ever largest Open Source initiative funded by the European Commission – is making public its first results, and I just started to analyze them.

    The goal of the project is “to define and implement technologies, procedures and policies to leverage the Open Source Software development current practices to sound and well recognised and established industrial operations”.

    QualiPSo includes 7 research and development domains (QualiPSo Competence Centres, business models, next generation forge, trustworthy results and process, information management, interoperability, legal issues), articulated in 10 work areas.

    Today I read the deliverable “State of the art concerning business models for systems comprising open source software“, apparently the most promising result within the “business models” research area.

    autoreferentialityCalypso Cabaret by Sackerman519

    Looking at the document as a whole, basically it is an essay of pretty known and old articles, like the Seven open source business strategies for competitive advantage, by John Koenig, and the mentioned many times “Economics of Open Source” of my buddy Carlo Daffara, plus some minor citations. Not a single new business model, they just mentioned Open Source (?) Franchising, not exploiting it any further.

    I must admit I learned about Sunil Joshi citations, but I honestly expected to find something more than things grasped around the net, sometimes even without double check. For example they happened to cite the Orixo consortium, so I guess they didn’t take a chance to talk with a representative, neither to read Gianugo advising on using consortia nor looking at the Orixo’s events section. On the contrary I didn’t read a mention of ZEA or Open Source Consortium, just to name two of them. I would warmly recommend them to add these, at least.

    I found it auto-referential just as the already mentioned deliverable D2.1.2 , since chapter 3 “BIG INDUSTRY OSS BUSINESS MODELS CASE STUDIES” is only about 4 QualiPSo’s members.

    Last but not least, chapter 4 “SME OSS BUSINESS MODELS CASE STUDIES” results to be a list of cases collected by the official sites of those firms, mostly cut&pasting public information available, not a deep research I would say.

    QualipSO seems following a Ferengi’s rule: Sell the sizzle, not the steak, I hope they will come out with something interesting soon..

    Technorati Tags: commercial open source, research, public funded, QualiPSo, IST

     

    • Josef Assad 8:20 am on August 27, 2007 Permalink

      No surprises, Roberto.

      At a very high level, I think the involvement of the EU in open source needs to be more enabling and less leading. I don’t think free culture is rocket science, and I agree with you that regurgitation of what is known is a waste of funds, but it is also a natural consequence.

      Rather than create the environment for open source adoption, it is my opinion that EU funds would be better directed at creating the conditions through which a free culture environment will organically develop. I’ve emphasised the operative words.

      I don’t think free culture lends itself very willingly to massive orchestrated initiatives, but that doesn’t mean that dep pockets can’t make significant impact.

    • Roberto Galoppini 12:49 am on August 28, 2007 Permalink

      Hi Josef,

      to the create the conditions you talk about, the dissemination should have a prominent role in projects like this, but as Hemingway wrote:

      Before we take to sea we walk on land, Before we create we must understand.

      The research phase should investigate, analyze and organize known facts in depth, if its ambition is:

      to make Open source a formidable lever to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, accelerate ICT growth, and implement the i2010 policy for growth and jobs.

      What I am saying here, is that at the present stage deliverables like this can’t be an appropriate tool to help IT firms to include Open Source Software in their actual business strategy.

      About deep pockets, I must tell you that as European citizen I am concerned about how public money is spent.

    • GNUliano 2:43 pm on August 31, 2007 Permalink

      Thank you very much Roberto for your post… I found it very useful and informative!

  • Roberto Galoppini 10:40 am on August 10, 2007 Permalink | Reply  

    Open Source Government: Italian Parliament, two-year switch to begin in September. 

    The IT department of the Italian Parliament presented plans for the migration of all of its 200 servers and more than 3500 desktop PCs to GNU/Linux and Open Office. The switch will be carried out gradually, as reported by IDABC, it will start next September and it will take about two years.

    After reading that the Italian parliament bets house on SuSE Linux I asked Pietro Folena to tell me more.

    According to IDABC the IT department of the Italian Parliament presented a massive migration plan (200 servers, 3500 desktops) that will take about two years. Could you tell us more about it?

    Pietro Folena Pietro Folena, courtesy of Chamber of Deputies

    Mr. Pietro Folena, Member of Italian Parliamente, proposed on July 2006, to adopt Free Software in the Parliament (low house) IT infrastructure and on desktop Pcs, both. The second proposal was to allow to MPs the choise between Windows and a Free Software Operative System, like GNU/Linux. This year the IT department of the House of Deputies (the low house of Italian Parliament presented a plan to migrate to Suse Linux Enterprise Edition the desktops of MPs, parlamentarian fractions, offices, but servers was migrated during 2005 and 2006.

    In order to introduce politicians to Linux are you consider a sort of “One Laptop per Politician” initiative? If this is the case, how would you get them interested in learning a new paradigm?

    No, It’s matter of freedom. We have Windows 2000 on our desktops. But this was an imposition that I didn’t accept. I’m a elected MP, so I want to decide if using Windows or a Free Software Operative System. I think that I’m more free using free software.
    I hope that all MPs will chose GNU/Linux on desktops, to know this alternative to proprietary software. If MPs will know the Free Software filosophy I think that laws on software and culture will be better.

    You said that “This migration will be a very important case study and will present us with best practices, relevant for all public offices.”, is the IT department wondering to write a blueprint (i.e a replicable and complete description of a set of tools and processes that satisfied a specific need)?

    At this moment I know there isn’t a blueprint, because migration of desktops will start on september. But I think that it will write next year or after.

    A political question, what do you think of the idea of “open-source politics”?

    There are some interestin projects of this. I think that “open source politics” are necessary. Politicians and cityzen are too far. But I see some facts: European Parliament, in example, changed the IPRED 2 directive by Internet-people riot. In Italy we deleted a fee on cell phone by a petition signed on Internet. The Net is a chance of democracy and partecipation.

    Technorati Tags: Open Source Government, Italian Parliament, PietroFolena, blueprints

     

  • Carlo Daffara 9:54 am on August 6, 2007 Permalink | Reply  

    Open source collaboration: non-source code open projects 

    In the context of the joint research work with Roberto, I would like to present a small update in the OpenTTT project. OpenTTT is a EU-funded project (SSA-030595 INN7) that aims at bridging the separate worlds of technology transfer and open source software (OSS), by introducing novel methodologies for helping companies in the take up of technology.

    As part of the project, we are collecting examples of non-source code projects where collaboration or open licensing are critical, and prepared a listing of such activities. Such listing will be extended in the next weeks, also including previous work like the “Open Source Gift Guide” or a list of non software open source goods.

    As already discussed a large portion of work in OSS projects goes into non-code aspects, and as such should be investigated probably with the same interest that OSS commands today.

    Technorati Tags: openttt, EU projects

     

  • Roberto Galoppini 7:45 am on July 26, 2007 Permalink | Reply  

    OpenOffice.org Italian Association: Final comments to the proposed Microsoft Office Open XML Standard 

    Trieste, 17th of July 2007 – The Association PLIO has deeply analyzed the Microsoft Office Open XML standard, and reading the over 6000 pages PLIO’s experts believe that the format should be substantially revised before being approved as standard.PLIO Association really appreciates the effort and the commitment of Microsoft, in relation to the declared availability to create a task force for the development of a reference implementation for OOXML. Anyway, this implicitly admits that the reference implementation is missing, and this creates a problem for any OOXML would-be implementor other than Microsoft itself.

    If the proposed OOXML file format will follow the ISO standard track in order to address problems which are still open, the PLIO Association is interested in becoming a member of the OOOXML reference implementation task force.

    (More …)

     

  • Roberto Galoppini 9:35 am on July 14, 2007 Permalink | Reply  

    Book: The Family Guide to Digital Freedom 

    “The Family Guide to Digital Freedom,” June 2007 edition is now available for purchase at Lulu.com, have a look at the website to know more.

    Marco Fioretti, the aythor, is a freelance writer living in Italy, he did write also “File Format: Hidden traps in OpenDocument (or any other open standard) and how to avoid them“, an interesting article about problems and issues related to every open standard.

    Below some information about the book and also an excerpt of the book. (More …)

     

    • patrizia paoletti 11:51 am on September 13, 2007 Permalink

      It’s very interesting and useful to have such a book to read but i think parents and teachers can’t sleep quietly because some tools(i.e smart-phone)let them use individually without any adults’help or presence.
      The following quote:”This book is here to…allow you to protect yourself and the future of your children.”
      is very relaxing but you cannot lower the danger level, because kids aren’t aware or responsible yet.So the solution to solve the problem is Media Education,better the New ME,to give them the chance to be digital citizens

    • mfioretti 9:51 pm on September 27, 2007 Permalink

      It’s very interesting and useful to have such a book to read but i think parents and teachers can’t sleep quietly because some tools(i.e smart-phone)let them use individually without any adults’ help or presence.

      Patrizia,

      Thanks for your comment. Now, while what you say is certainly true, it is not the focus of my book at all, for a couple of reasons. I do mention the fact that constantly keeping a watchful eye on what children do even in the digital space is essential, but this would have never be a reason to take up such a challenge: first of all because there already are plenty of books and blogs giving practical advice at this level, and then because this is an issue that most parents are naturally able to see by themselves, without any external support. “It is important to monitor your children while they are online and explain the risks of being there” is not so different conceptually from “it is important to monitor your children while they are playing in the street, or at school, and explain etc etc…”, even if the knowledge to handle the former case is much less widespread.

      What the Guide is about is showing to parents and teacher the dangers for the future of their children of which they don’t even realize the existence:

      what are the environmental impacts of the software you install on your home computer?

      why is the very concept of e-voting seriously limited?

      what is the real, practical reason why it is bad that you should pay hundreds of dollars to use a Disney soundtrack in your home movies, even if it is almost impossible that they find and fine you?

      how much is the average family already paying or will pay, in the most different and unexpected ways (from destruction of cultural heritage to already paying fines, many times, for crimes they never committed or the reduction of truly creative and satisfying jobs for adults of tomorrow) thanks to arcane acronums like DRM, IP, ECMA-376 or
      ISO 26300?

      These and many others are all bad things that are already happening and would continue to happen in the same way even if all parents had the ability to never make their children use smart-phones or computers without supervision, or if all children of the world were wise enough to never misuse these tools.

      This is what the Guide is about: explaining in the simplest possible language what these dangers are, why and how they are actually hurting all of us (“your civil rights and the quality of your life heavily depend on how software is used around you”), and how to fight them. And it does this without ever assuming, as several radical FOSS supporters do, that in order to act one should become a software professional or love programming.

      The following quote: “This book is here to “allow you to protect yourself and the future of your children.” is very relaxing but you cannot lower the danger level

      This depends on which danger(s) you are looking at, or on how many dangers today’s average parent and teacher are already able to see. This is what really worries me, this is why I wrote the book. There are many Digital Dangers that can be neutered, and the moment to do it is now: but only if enough people start seeing them.

      kids aren’t aware or responsible yet.So the solution to solve the problem is Media Education,better the New ME,to give them the chance to be digital citizens.

      Of course. But in this specific time and age, it is absolutely
      necessary that parents and teachers have the right information take the matter in their own hands, that they make by themselves the right choices and vote accordingly. Because it’s not a technical decision, it is an ethic one. Otherwise that New Media Education will be one that only benefits a few corporations.

  • Roberto Galoppini 4:34 pm on July 10, 2007 Permalink | Reply  

    Blognation Italy: Web 2.0, Mobile and Start-ups 

    Blognation Italy has just been launched, it is part of the blognation network, a network of bloggers reporting in English on Web 2.0 technology, mobile and enterprise start-ups.

    Amanda Lorenzani Amanda Lorenzani

    I already happened to video-interview the Italian Editor Amanda Lorenzani, a Rome/London based blogger, portal manager at Excite UK with a background in technology PR and communications. When at the vlog barcamp she kindly promised me to give some light on her last adventure, below her answers.

    What will blognation Italy be covering?

    News from web 2.0 and mobile start ups, product developments, events and the venture capital market. We’ll also be tracking the most dynamic innovators, entrepreneurs and bloggers. We’ll also be looking at the open source space and its impact on development and innovation. Italy has a wealth of talented individuals, creativity, skills and an increasing desire to grow the entrepreneurial ecosystem and blognation’s mission is to raise awareness of the activity happening in the country.

    How many countries will you be covering?

    The UK site launched last week in beta, which is being followed by Germany and Italy. Throughout the course of Q3 and 4 we’ll also be launching Ireland, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Iceland, Netherlands, Japan, China, Australia, Brazil and South America.

    An ambitious scope! Why has blognation chosen to report in English only?

    Some top quality start ups are emerging from many countries, led by innovative entrepreneurs. There are also excellent local language blogs covering these developments. The English speaking world faces a challenge understanding what’s emerging from outside its sphere and blognation’s vision is to help bridge the communications gap.

    How do you see the start up ambient in Italy?

    Optimistically. There is huge growth potential and enthusiasm is certainly not lacking! CEOs I’ve spoken with so far have expressed cautious but definitely positive views on how the ecosystem will expand. Lack of support and an infrastructure not adapted to the needs of start ups is always cited as an issue. blognation wants to support growth in this area by providing a source of information to venture capitalists, angel investors, analysts, multinationals and entrepreneurs within Italy and also to a global audience.

    What can we expect to see coming up on blognation Italy?

    There are some great start ups emerging from Italy – Mobango, Zooppa, TheBlogTV, Segnalo, yoo+ to name but a few. It will be exciting reporting the development of these dynamic new companies. We’ll also be tracking news from the start up hubs like Netwo and First Generation Network and interviewing the innovators in the sector.

    Thank you Amanda, I wish you and blognation Italy the best of luck!

    PS: If your start-up is not listed among  blognation companies,  feel free to send details about your start-up directly to the editor (amanda.lorenzani blognation.com) or  filling the contact us form.

    About blognation.
    July 1st, 2007 saw the launch of blognation, a federation of blogs reporting daily updates on Web 2.0 technology, mobile and enterprise news from all over the world. Currently editors do cover some European regions (United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Italy, Iceland, Netherlands) and other countries like Israel, Japan, China / Taiwan / Hong Kong, Australia, Brazil, South America. USA is not going to be covered, because there are already many outstanding blogs focusing on technology start-ups. Yesterday were announced two more blognation countries – Germany and Italy and despite they define themselves in “pre-beta” (trial & test mode) they are scheduled to rollout two or three countries each week throughout the summer.

     

  • Roberto Galoppini 10:43 am on June 25, 2007 Permalink | Reply  

    Open Source Government: Italy launches Commission on Open Source 

    The Italian Minister of Reform and Innovations in Public Administration, Luigi Nicolais, on the 22th of June announced the creation of the second Open Source Commission, composed of sixteen members and coordinated by Angelo Raffaele Meo. The Commission will be supported also by the National Center for Information Technology in Public Administration(CNIPA) and the Department of Innovation.

    Italian coffee Italian coffee cirox

    The start of this commission is further proof of my personal and Government willingness to aid the diffusion of Open Source software, fostering open source policies and making them central.

    The Commission follows two other important initiatives:

    The Commission will define guidelines for IT Public procurement of open source software.

    Technorati Tags: Open Source Government, Open Source Procurement, Italy

     

  • Roberto Galoppini 5:43 pm on June 14, 2007 Permalink | Reply  

    Open Source Marketing: Italian bloggers met Bruce Perens 

    Last Friday some Italian bloggers met Bruce Perens, it was a trial of running an open source awareness meeting to get in touch to individuals outside our network.

    In Italy Open Source is experiencing a clique phenomenon, and there is a need for hubs to be in place in other areas. I asked Nicola Mattina, an Italian known blogger with a wide professional experience in Communication and new media, to help me to organize the event.

    Italian bloggers meet Bruce Perens Italian bloggers meet Bruce Perens by Roldano De Persio

    Here the list of bloggers at the event: Alessio Jacona (corporate blogging), Luca Sartoni (free software activist), Leo Sorge (journalist), Francesco Romeo, Massimiliano Mirra (developer), Tara Kelly (entrepreneur and designer), Roldano De Persio (marketing and photographer), Fabio Masetti (IT freelance), Andrea Martines (web accessibility expert), Nicola Mattina and myself.

    Bruce gave a speech introducing himself and his job over the last twenty years, getting a chance to tell people about his relationship with his previous and actual employer, with his customers, but also about freedom and democracy.

    Among non-open source topics covered, it is worth to mention the network neutrality and the importance of bloggers independence, and his invite to work hard to keep the Internet for everyone.

    I wish to thank Bruce Perens, who kindly welcomed the idea to meet Italian bloggers, Ernst & Young who guested our informal meeting by its office in Rome and, last but not least, all participants that made it a reality.

    I hope it to be the first meeting of a long series, and I agree with Roldano saying that in its simplicity it was a great thing: a get-together of bloggers, Internet citizens eager to know more and talk about a phenomenon that is changing our daily life.

    [italian bloggers, open source, perens]

     

    • Leo Sorge 7:49 pm on June 15, 2007 Permalink

      Bruce Perens is a great person. In 30 years of journalistic activity, I never found a single person who moves around the room to get close to each person who asks him a question.
      He touched some great topics and he answered a few questions. What he said was interesting, but I mostly appreciated the way he pronounced those words. The words of a most respectful person.
      I thank Bruce for the time he gave us. I wish him the very best.
      Leo Sorge

    • Massimiliano 10:47 pm on June 17, 2007 Permalink

      After more than half a decade spent coding and breathing open source software, meeting someone who played a chief role in shaping the open source movement was an honour; discovering a wonderful person, a pleasure. Bruce Perens gets too easily pigeonholed into the “pragmatic” character, especially when contrasted with the likes of Stallman; if you have a chance to listen to him in person, though, I think you’ll find that “pragmatism” here is simply the kind of passion strong enough that it’s willing to step back and give way to reason when that helps the goal.

      Thanks, Roberto & friends for arranging the meeting, and thanks, Bruce, for the words of wisdom.

      All the best,

      Massimiliano

  • Roberto Galoppini 4:42 pm on June 12, 2007 Permalink | Reply  

    Italian new tech startups – The Best Ecosystem for Technology Start-ups: the Italian Evidence 

    Researchers and policy makers agree on the fact that New Tech Based Firms (NTBF) play a fundamental role in modern industrialized economies. This is all the more true in Italy. On the one hand, in fact, due to the weakness of the national high tech industry, there is a great need for a complete generational renovation in the enterprise operating in this sector. On the other hand, the country presents many success stories of new enterprises operating the the medium and low tech content sectors. Therefore the question arises concerning the conditions necessary in Italy for the development of top level firms operating in high tech sectors.

    In this context, the analysis produced by the RITA Observatory of the Department of Management Engineering of the Polytechnic of Milan (RITA Report 2005) showed that Italy boasts a vast number of young high tech enterprises that could be candidates to become “gazelles”.

    KDE Resting Gazelle, by khosey1

    These enterprises are concentrated in the stronger parts of the country, particularly in Lombardy (30.3%), while their presence is far rarer in the Southern Italy (15.4%). Moreover the productive specialization of these enterprises is influenced by the traditional vocations of Italian regions and the presence of large enterprises operating in related sectors. In particular two thirds of all NTBFs operate in the service sector (software, Internet services, TLC and desktop publishing). In the manufacturing sector, a fundamental role is played by ICT (21.6% of the total, 8% of which in electronic, optical and biomedical tools) and automation and robotics (19%). The share of NTBFs operating in biotechnologies, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and new materials is more modest (4.9%).

    The birth rate of Italian NTBFs underwent a significant increase in the latter half of nineties. Nonetheless, after the pinnacle reached in 2000, their birth rate is decreasing with the important exception of start ups generated by the public research system.

    This is due to the negative effects created by the new economy bubble and, more generally, to the unfavourable macro economic conditions that have recently affected a vast portion of the high technology sector. Nonetheless, the enterprises have survived this period of competitive selection are starting to exhibit a new vivacity, which is particularly visible in the increase of indications related to innovative activities such as patenting and participating in research projects financed by the European Union.

    (source: “an eye to innovation” newsletter, by FILAS)

    Reading the ICT market in 2006 report, edited by AITECH-Assinform – the Italian association of Information & Communication Technology companies – apparently the IT Services shows some (little) sign of recovery (+0.4%), but software development and maintenance and data processing are both experiencing a downturn (-0.7% and -2.3% respectively).

    Also interesting to notice that apparently innovation by Italian business does not take place on a co-operative basis, as results from the fourth Community Innovation Survey, by EUROSTAT.

    Co-operation with customers in innovation activities ranged from 4% in Spain to 41% in Finland, and I am wondering what about launching an Italian Cooperative Software Initiative?

    Technorati Tags: startups, ecosystem, innovation, open source

     

  • Roberto Galoppini 8:17 pm on June 6, 2007 Permalink | Reply  

    Open Source Hackers: the Italian blogosphere meets Bruce Perens! 

    The Italian blogosphere is invited to participate next Friday in a meeting with Bruce Perens, author of the Open Source Definition and well-known open source advocate.

    Open Source awareness is risking to be a clique phenomenon, resulting in open source advocates talking each other. Bruce Perens kindly welcomed the idea to meet Italian influencers to the Open Source.

    Bruce Perens Bruce Perens by GeorgeNemeth

    Bruce Perens will introduce himself telling us about his life as hacker, and we might learn from his voice about all different phases of the open source adoption.

    To join the meeting, scheduled for 10 a.m. (GMT+1) you just need to subscribe on pbwiki or upcoming setup by Nicola Mattina, who is helping me to make it happen.

    On Saturday I will also moderate the Commercial Open Source Software panel where Bruce will held the keynote speech, if you are an IT entrepreneur that is the place for you!

    Ernst & Young will guest our meeting by its office in Rome, Via dei Villini 13/15, many thanks to Andrea Paliani to make it possible.
    [open source, perens]

     

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