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05/23/2007, 2:00 PM - 2:50 PM
Moderator:
Raven Zachary, Research Director, Open Source, The 451 Group.
Speakers:
Danese Cooper, Open Source Diva, Intel Corporation.
Chris DiBona, Open Source Programs Manager, Google, Inc.
Andy Dreisch, VP Community Development, SugarCRM, Inc.
Dawn Foster, Director of Developer Relations, Jive Software.
As has been observed numerous times in recent memory, open source is truly subversive, fundamentally changing the software development process. It is now hopelessly democratized, with more avenues for users not officially affiliated with an ISV to contribute to its development process. With open source, the customer can also be a development partner, and developers can also be QA people. Roles are no longer rigidly defined, and engaging in open processes means engaging in intimate long-term strategic relationships with people that would have fallen under the radar in the past. In the earlier days of open source, companies that engaged with communities needed to be nice to the open source community, although they weren't sure why, other than to be seen as model corporate citizens. Over the years, this view has morphed from one based solely on corporate citizenship into the discovery that building an active community promises substantial business benefits - and risks. In fact, community development looks a lot like other types of partnerships and business development, except that entrusting your business to a few thousand of your closest friends presents a unique challenge. What can companies expect to gain from community development? How much should they invest? In this session, four individuals who have studied the art of community development will relate their community building experiences and share best practices.
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