Community Source Software: The Beginning of the End, or the End of the Beginning? Notes from a panel at the EDUCAUSE Enterprise Information and Technology Conference, Chicago, IL, May 2008
Panelists:
Laura McCain Patterson, Associate VP, Information Systems, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Richard Spencer, Acting CIO and AVP IT, The University of British Columbia
Brad Wheeler, VP for IT, CIO, and Professor, Indiana University
Moderator: Andrea Di Maio, VP Distinguished Analyst, Gartner, Inc.
Abstract:
Community source is designed to coordinate the work of different user IT organizations sharing the same purpose and requirements. An alternative to commercial applications and custom development, it gives users control and shares risk across peer organizations. Although several such public sector communities exist and yield great promises, many struggle with achieving critical mass and a viable business model. This panel compares and contrasts community source with more traditional software sourcing options and explores critical sustainability success factors.
