Coordination in Open Source versus Commercial Software Development

Process patterns based on particular coordination mechanisms have been used to describe and understand the work practices of commercial software development. However, there has not been much work done on whether the specific coordination mechanisms noticed in commercial software development are indeed applicable to Open Source software development projects. Such an analysis can help managers of Open Source projects in coordinating their project. In this paper we explore whether three Commercial software development patterns are applicable to Open Source software development projects. We do this through an analysis of published case studies

Coordination Implications of Software Coupling in Open Source Projects

The effect of software coupling on the quality of software has been studied quite widely since the seminal paper on software modularity by Parnas [1]. However, the effect of the increase in software coupling on the coordination of the developers has not been researched as much. In commercial software development environments there normally are coordination mechanisms in place to manage the coordination requirements due to software dependencies. But, in the case of Open Source software such coordination mechanisms are harder to implement, as the developers tend to rely solely on electronic means of communication. Hence, an understanding of the changing coordination requirements is essential to the management of an Open Source project. In this paper we study the effect of changes in software coupling on the coordination requirements in a case study of a popular Open Source project called JBoss

A Research Agenda for Studying Open Source I: A Multi-Level Framework

This paper presents a research agenda for studying information systems using open source software A multi-level research model is developed at five discrete levels of analysis: (1) the artifact; (2) the individual; (3) the team, project, and community; (4) the organization; and (5) society. Each level is discussed in terms of key issues within the level. Examples are based on prior research. In a companion paper, [Niederman, et al 2006], we view the agenda through the lens of referent discipline theories

Exploring the Impact of Socio-Technical Core-Periphery Structures in Open Source Software Development

In this paper we apply the social network concept of core-periphery structure to the sociotechnical structure of a software development team. We propose a socio-technical pattern that can be used to locate emerging coordination problems in Open Source projects. With the help of our tool and method called TESNA, we demonstrate a method to monitor the socio-technical core-periphery movement in Open Source projects. We then study the impact of different core-periphery movements on Open Source projects. We conclude that a steady core-periphery shift towards the core is beneficial to the project, whereas shifts away from the core are clearly not good. Furthermore, oscillatory shifts towards and away from the core can be considered as an indication of the instability of the project. Such an analysis can provide developers with a good insight into the health of an Open Source project. Researchers can gain from the pattern theory, and from the method we use to study the core-periphery movements

From "community" to "commercial" FLOSS: The case of moodle

This is the post-print version of the final published article that is available from the link below. Copyright © 2010 ACM, Inc.This paper documents the evolution of Moodle, an advanced Content Management System, and its transition from a purely volunteer-based project to one driven by commercial interests and stakeholders. The study of its evolution provides evidence of the sustainability of its process: increasing amounts of provided effort by developers correspond to similarly increasing produced outputs to the Moodle system. It is also evident how this OSS system, apart from achieving the transition to a successful multisite, collaborative and community-based OSS project, depends more on its community than its commercial partners

Openwifi : a free and open-source IEEE802.11 SDR implementation on SoC

Open source Software Defined Radio (SDR) project, such as srsLTE and Open Air Interface (OAI), has been widely used for 4G/5G research. However the SDR implementation of the IEEE802.11 (Wi-Fi) is still difficult. The Wi-Fi Short InterFrame Space (SIFS) requires acknowledgement (ACK) packet being sent out in 10μs/16μs(2.4 GHz/5GHz) after receiving a packet successfully, thus the Personal Computer (PC) based SDR architecture hardly can be used due to the latency (≥100μs) between PC and Radio Frequency (RF) front-end. Researchers have to do simulation, hack a commercial chip or buy an expensive reference design to test their ideas. To change this situation, we have developed an open-source full-stack IEEE802.11a/g/n SDR implementation — openwifi. It is based on Xilinx Zynq Systemon-Chip (SoC) that includes Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and ARM processor. With the low latency connection between FPGA and RF front-end, the most critical SIFS timing is achieved by implementing Physical layer (PHY) and low level Media Access Control (low MAC) in FPGA. The corresponding driver is implemented in the embedded Linux running on the ARM processor. The driver instantiates Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) defined by Linux mac80211 subsystem, which is widely used for most SoftMAC Wi-Fi chips. Researchers could study and modify openwifi easily thanks to the modular design. Compared to PC based SDR, the SoC is also a better choice for portable and embedded scenario

Challenges of open innovation: the paradox of firm investment in open-source software

Open innovation is a powerful framework encompassing the generation, capture, and employment of intellectual property at the firm level. We identify three fundamental challenges for firms in applying the concept of open innovation: finding creative ways to exploit internal innovation, incorporating external innovation into internal development, and motivating outsiders to supply an ongoing stream of external innovations. This latter challenge involves a paradox, why would firms spend money on R&D efforts if the results of these efforts are available to rival firms? To explore these challenges, we examine the activity of firms in opensource software to support their innovation strategies. Firms involved in open-source software often make investments that will be shared with real and potential rivals. We identify four strategies firms employ – pooled R&D/product development, spinouts, selling complements and attracting donated complements – and discuss how they address the three key challenges of open innovation. We conclude with suggestions for how similar strategies may apply in other industries and offer some possible avenues for future research on open innovation

The LaTeX project: A case study of open source software

The TeX typesetting software was developed by Donald E. Knuth in the late 1970s. It was released with an open source license and has become a reference in scientific publishing. TeX is now used to typeset and publish much of the world’s scientific literature in physics and mathematics. This case study serves as a critical examination of the stylized facts uncovered in previous studies of other open source software projects, such as GNU/Linux, an operating system, and Apache, a web server. It is sponsored by CNRS, a French research agency, and is supported by the University of Toulouse in France and the School of Information Management and Systems in Berkeley. The comparison centers on the historical development of the project, the organization, both formal and informal, that supports it, the motivations of the developers, and the various dynamics that are at work and influence the project. The case study explores the economic impact of the TeX software which is sold through TeX-based commercial applications and used in the typesetting industry and various institutions. It is an exploration of how the open source nature of the program made a di erence relative to what would have happened had it been commercial software.TeX, open source, Tug, software, case study, innovation, knowledge production, licenses, intellectual property, open systems

The LaTeX project: A case study of open-source software

This is a case study of TeX, a typesetting software that was developed by Donald E. Knuth in the late 70's. Released with an open source license, it has become a reference in scientific publishing. TeX is now used to typeset and publish much of the world's scientific literature in physics and mathematics. This case study is part of a wider effort by academics to understand the open-source phenomenon. That development model is similar to the organization of the production of knowledge in academia; there is no set organization with a hierarchy, but free collaboration that is coordinated spontaneously and winds up generating complex products that are the property of all who can understand its functioning. The case study was led by gathering qualitative data via interviews with TeX developers and quantitative data on the TeX community -- the program's code, the software that is part of the TeX distribution, the newsgroups dedicated to the software, and many other indicators of the evolution and activity in that open-source project. The case study is aimed at economists who want to develop models to understand and analyze the open-source phenomenon. It is also geared towards policy-makers who would like to encourage or regulate open- source, and towards open-source developers who wonder what are the efficient strategies to make an open-source project successful.TeX, LaTeX, case study, open source, software, innovation, organisational structure, economic history, knowledge production, knowledge diffusion.

Concurrentie, innovatie en intellectuele eigendomsrechten in software markten

This study analyzes under which circumstances it may be desirable for the government to stimulate open source software as a response to market failures in software markets. To consider whether policy intervention can increase dynamic efficiency, we discuss the differences between proprietary software and open source software with respect to the incentives to innovate and market failures that may occur. The document proposes guidelines to determine which types of policy intervention may be suitable. Our most important finding is that directly stimulating open source software, e.g. by acting as a lead customer, can improve dynamic efficiency if (i) there is a serious customer lock-in problem, while (ii) to develop the software, there is no need to purchase specific, complementary inputs at a substantial cost, and (iii) follow-on innovations are socially valuable but there are impediments to contractual agreements between developers that aim at realizing such innovations. This publication is in Dutch.