Today Opendawn is proud to release three new tools to assist with project governance. The first is a library of links covering everything from process development through to politics. The second is a tool to help people explore licensing options when starting their own project. The third is a tool to help people locate experts around the world.

Discussing the release Shane Coughlan, Opendawn’s CEO, said:

Free and Open Source Software is about sharing.  The idea is that by working together everyone benefits.  This concept does not stop with code.  For businesses there is also value in sharing best practice information to raise the bar on the market as a whole.

At Opendawn we understand this.  We’ve been working in this field for a while, and we have seen open collaboration drive forward solutions to complex issues time and time again.  Sharing has contributed to our bottom line through direct resources, establishing new relationships, and by providing us with fresh perspectives.

These tools are part of Opendawn’s contribution back to the community and are part of the same program that lead us to become an Associate Partner of FOSSbazaar.  As Shane said, “There is more to come.”  Watch this space.

Opendawn is proud to announce that we have become an Associate Partner of FOSSbazaar, joining organizations like BT, Hewlett-Packard, Linux Foundation, Novell, Black Duck Software and Olliance Group in promoting better FOSS governance

FOSSBazaar is an open community that was launched by HP and our founding partners Coverity, DLA Piper, Google, the Linux Foundation, Novell, Olliance Group, OpenLogic and SourceForge. As a workgroup of the Linux Foundation, we are dedicated to empowering individuals and organizations across the enterprise to understand the issues that exist with free and open source software (FOSS), the processes that can assist to properly govern the implementation and deployment of FOSS, and the tools that can be used to assist these efforts across the lifecycle of an open source project. The vision of FOSSBazaar is to serve as a gathering place to discuss, explore, share experiences and cooperatively solve issues related to FOSS governance. As such, the site serves the open source community as a forum representative of open source users and providers worldwide.

Over the next few months we will contribute material to FOSSbazaar and assist in developing new best practice information for the community.  You can follow our progress on Shane Coughlan’s blog or through FOSSbazaar’s RSS feed.  Our work in this project will be an open dialogue, so if you have suggestions for useful governance material you want to see available just let us know.

Shane Coughlan delivered a speech entitled ‘Practical Economic Engagement with Free and Open Source Software’ at OSC Kochi between 13:00 and 13:45 on Saturday the 14th of November. Details of his speech are available here.

This was Opendawn’s first opportunity to meet developers and FOSS enthusiasts from the island of Shikoku, and it was with great pleasure that we contributed to the first OSC held in this region by Begi.net.  Experts from Shimane, Kagawa and Tokyo were all present to share their views on what’s important in FOSS today.

For more information about code governance, how companies can adhere to FOSS requirements, and Opendawn’s services in this area please contact us.

Opendawn is proud to announce the immediate availability of a new free resource for Free/Open Source Software professionals. Today sees the launch of the FOSS library, a comprehensive listing of material covering everything from FOSS licensing to code governance to issue resolution.  This library will be updated and expanded over the coming months, and suggestions for additional listings or improvements are welcome.

For more information about FOSS resources and Opendawn’s services in this area please contact us.