Introduction to Open Source GIS David McIlhagga, President DM Solutions Group

What is Open Source and How Does it Work  Freely available software and source code with limited licensing restrictions on distribution  Collaborative, community-based software development process  Proactively engages software users with software developers  The Internet provides the backbone for a virtual software development team

Benefits of the Open Source Model  No licensing fees  Resources are allocated to building applications and enhancing software, not licensing multiple machines  Enables development of highly customized applications based on client’s needs  Vibrant user community  Development priorities are driven by end-user needs  Issues can be resolved in-house

Making Open Source a Reality in Your Organization  Before purchasing commercial software, consider the full requirements of your organization and total costs of a commercial vs. open source approach  Engage software experts early in the process of adopting technology to assess it’s potential for your organization  Identify the capabilities of your staff and contractors who will be available to you. Ensure you have adequate support internally or from contractors for the technology you are adopting  Monitor the activity within the open source community for the software you are considering adopting

Fertile Environments for Open Source  Distributed data environments  Widespread deployment of custom software  Strong in-house skills or access to skilled contractors  Need for highly customized applications with unique requirements

Case Study – Open Source technologies for the Oceanographic Community

The Oceans Community - Ripe for Open Source  Highly Distributed Community  Community has common technical needs and requirements  Some of these stakeholders have little or no access to funding for purchasing software  This community that has not been well served by traditional “land-oriented” GIS  Community that is willing to work together, share and learn from each others experiences

Building the Integrated Ocean Observing System - The Open Source Way  Collective community funds are used to support enhancements to shared software. Pay once, and everyone gains.  Through Collaborative technologies such as Twikis and online bug tracking software -- information on best practices, software problems and next steps can be shared and communicated  An engaged community provides superior feedback, documentation and testing within the community, keeping overall costs of software development down  As other communities leverage the enhancements funded by the community, cost of maintenance is shared with other like- minded communities.

MapServer – An Open Source Success Story  Embodies the open source philosophy  Strong set of efficient and reliable capabilities  Built with proven open source technologies  Active and open development and user communities  Developed on client needs, not commercial interests

The Future for Open Source Technologies  More accessible Internet  Adoption of open standards  Tighter integration among open source technologies  More demanding applications  Rapidly maturing and growing user and developer communities