1. Options and rationales for rethinking IT strategy in an age of Open Source Policy Discussion 2 CSG@Harvard Cambridge, Massachusetts September 23, 2004 Coordinators: Carl Jacobson Ken Klingenstein Charlie Leonhardt

2. Are open source software solutions any different? Are open source software solutions really any different? One view: Yes, in the following ways: Necessary to look at license structures Necessary to look at license structures Tends to have less infrastructure built in (e.g. PeopleSoft gets directory religion but sticks the enterprise directory into PS vs. considering it to be external as open source might) Tends to have less infrastructure built in (e.g. PeopleSoft gets directory religion but sticks the enterprise directory into PS vs. considering it to be external as open source might) Tends to have less integration with related software (e.g. connectors, plug-ins, etc.) Tends to have less integration with related software (e.g. connectors, plug-ins, etc.) Comes with its own GUIs Comes with its own GUIs Maintenance needs less addressed, if less expensive Maintenance needs less addressed, if less expensive May be more platform specific, and odd platforms at that (e.g. smalltalk) May be more platform specific, and odd platforms at that (e.g. smalltalk) Often addresses low levels of the protocol stack (e.g. Winsock, Shib) or pre-market parts of the stack (OSPI, Signet) Often addresses low levels of the protocol stack (e.g. Winsock, Shib) or pre-market parts of the stack (OSPI, Signet) Another: Software development is software development Somewhere in between?

3. Questions to Spark Discussion Questions to Spark Discussion Focus more on strategies and less on current projects How do we build infrastructure for open source? How do we build infrastructure using open source? How do we integrate disparate open source systems?

4. Questions to Spark Discussion Questions to Spark Discussion Focus more on strategies and less on current projects How do we build support structures for open source? What are the budget consequences (from capitalization to staffing) for open source? What are the staffing impacts? What changes in job skills are needed?

5. Questions to Spark Discussion Questions to Spark Discussion Focus more on strategies and less on current projects How do we identify and mitigate risks associated with open source solutions? How do we educate campus decision makers on issues related to open source? Other Issues you would like to discuss

6. Some Recent Articles of Interest EDUCAUSE June 2004 Open Source Meeting Summary Minutes (to be posted to CSG List) Values of Community Source Development, Lois Brooks, Stanford, published in Syllabus on 9/1/04 http://www.syllabus.com/print.asp?ID=9940 http://www.syllabus.com/print.asp?ID=9940 5 Challenges for Open Source, Chronicle of Higher Education, 9/24/04 http://chronicle.com/prm/weekly/v51/i05/05b00101.htm http://chronicle.com/prm/weekly/v51/i05/05b00101.htm Sakai Project Offers an Alternative to Commercial Course- Management Programs, Chronicle of Higher Education, 9/24/04 http://chronicle.com/prm/weekly/v51/i05/05b01201.htm http://chronicle.com/prm/weekly/v51/i05/05b01201.htm (If you don’t have CHE access, write to leonhardt@georgetown.edu for copies of these articles) leonhardt@georgetown.edu