Blog
Get an update on Open Source! Our OS blog offers daily news on current issues, trends and developments about Open Source and other free software.
Mar 11, 2010
Open source first, ask questions later
Once again, Google has bought something only to open source it. This time it’s ReMail, first acquired, then put on Google Code as open source under the Apache 2.0 license. (It previously did the same thing with DocVerse.) read more...
SpringSource launches lightweight tc server for virtual, cloud environments
SpringSource has announced a new lightweight edition of its open source application development and management server optimized for the virtual datacenter, cloud computing — and VMware products, of course. VMware acquired SpringSource in September. SpringSource’s Apache Tomcat-based server is used by more than half of the Global 2000 companies. read more...
Mar 10, 2010
Will Apple be the next SCO or the next Microsoft?
Apple’s suit against HTC could end one of two ways. Either Apple becomes the next SCO, which ran itself aground claiming rights to Linux, or it becomes the next Microsoft, which is prospering while claiming to own Linux. read more...
At Open Source and the Cloud, IT opportunities and challenges
Just as open source has made it easier for developers to distribute software, the cloud has ushered in a new wave of consumption, turning on-premise IT from a necessity to an option. read more...
Mar 09, 2010
Group promotes savings with open-source software
For about a year, a group of heavyweight automotive and technology companies has been working on a way to hasten development of in-vehicle entertainment systems. Their solution: share basic software development using the open-source Linux operating system. read more...
Google and open source want to make us OCD on energy
The low-hanging fruit in the renewable energy business still lies with efficiency. Cutting your energy use without crimping your lifestyle gives you a faster payback than turning into Ed Begley Jr. read more...
Mar 08, 2010
Can open source make 311 relevant?
The 311 service has been a “red headed stepchild” for American cities practically since it was launched in the mid-1990s as a phone service. read more...
Is Ubuntu ready to run your business servers?
Despite its desktop-oriented reputation, Ubuntu is making serious inroads as a business server that can compete with Red Hat. read more...
Mar 05, 2010
Google open source guru says Android code will be in Linux kernel in time
Google’s Android code will assume its rightful place in the Linux kernel — in good time, the company’s top open source guru says. read more...
Is Saas a friend or a foe of Open Source?
Dries Buytaert of Drupal and Acquia is warning that Software as a Service is becoming a threat to open source and that clouds could create the same vendor lock-in customers sought to avoid with open source. read more...
Mar 04, 2010
Jaspersoft's open source BI gains traction
The open-core business intelligence vendor has amassed more than 10 million downloads, raising questions about potential acquisitions. read more...
Palm's WebOS could help BlackBerry compete against Apple, Android
A Palm acquisition could revamp RIM's OS and help it resonate more with younger consumers deciding between an iPhone or a BlackBerry Curve. read more...
Mar 03, 2010
Open source: Still room for the little guy?
Open source started small, but it's increasingly looking like it's a game for big vendors to play. That's because open source is all about scale, which is hard to attain as a small player. MySQL took 10 years, Red Hat wasn't much faster, and JBoss was also a long-term project. read more...
Health IT takes the first step down the open source road
That first step is interoperability. Getting proprietary gear to work together, to transform reports among proprietary standards, is the first step on the road to an open world. read more...
Mar 01, 2010
There are political advantages in vendor lock-in
Today Matt Asay urges government buyers to support open source, open data and open standards. Why? Because it’s better. Because it promotes competition. Because it gives government flexibility. read more...
How to think about services for the open web
Karsten Januszewski from Microsoft spoke this afternoon at FOWA about different types of web services, and how they can impact the success of your web app. read more...
Feb 26, 2010
How to use open APIs for business growth
When you think "open source," you probably think applications. But maybe you should also be thinking about APIs. read more...
The Open Source Innovation Backbone is SaaSy
In response to my piece yesterday, my Italian friend Roberto Galoppini referenced a piece he did last August called the Open Source Innovation Backbone. read more...
Feb 25, 2010
Microsoft patent peace for our time
Another day, another Microsoft patent deal. This time with Amazon. And more whining from Linux advocates that this is a “Microsoft tax” aimed at making Linux users pay Microsoft for the open source operating system. read more...
Spanish government's adds software development site to OSOR's list
The Spanish government's Technology Transfer Centre (CTT) is the newest name on the list of federated open source software sites in the European Union. read more...
