CELLaVI

Many companies are interested in open source software, both technologically and economically, but the path to successful adoption is not an easy one. The open source paradigm brings with it new licensing schemes, requires that clear economic choices be made and encourages the development of new models. So-called hybrid licensing, which incorporates the features of full open source and classic software licenses, makes the choice even more complicated.

Open source software is an attractive option, as little infrastructure exists that can be shared among user businesses. Mutualisation structures, by contrast, support networking among industrial actors from both the private and public sectors (the public sector plays a role in adopting open source software and can act as a stimulus). To be effi cient, the collaborative environment must remain independent with respect to business actors, licensing, business models and the technologies used.

Through its various research tasks, the project will support three categories of companies:

• Software Editors: Open source involves specific business models, as free software creates a distinction between primary development activities and value-added activities, such as support and advanced functionalities. Software companies can take advantage of free software to turn these two characteristics into assets for exporting their skills. Open source allows very small companies to become worldwide references, while the availability of the code provides a strong guarantee for the customer. At the same time, open access can oblige the publisher to remain the expert on its reference product. With open source, traditional independent software vendors face the risk of competition from new entrants into the marketplace distributing free software.

• Software services companies: Free software can be incorporated into specific solutions. Integrating free software based on the reuse of proven components and avoiding licensing costs can provide a strong competitive advantage. Still, help is needed in selecting the appropriate software components, and, where appropriate, taking into account trust issues, traceability of licenses and possible legal risks. There is also the opportunity to provide a knowledge base of existing free software in some areas, as well as knowledge of outstanding contributions from research projects and innovative initiatives.

• End-users: Free software is important for companies and administrators for various strategic tasks. As new applications emerge, their functionality and quality catch up with, and even out-perform, classic commercial applications. Users face the diffi culty of selecting open source software tailored to their needs, with the required quality and support.

In order to support all these actors, CELLaVI provides several answers, in different areas:

1. By setting up a forge and a collaborative environment, CELLaVI meets the needs of companies looking for an online service to host their applications. While this service is a means for promoting the software, it is also a tool to support co-development between a company and its partners.
2. CELLaVI helps companies questioning the potential benefi ts of free software by providing services in these areas:
   • Legal: choice and combination of licenses,
   • Economic: choice of business model, management support for open source projects,
   • Technical: choice of software components, application architecture, etc.,
   • Training: knowledge of open source platforms, training certificates, etc.
3. By taking into account emerging fields, such as open hardware or automated software analysis, CELLaVI provides a decisive advantage for companies associated with the initiative: it helps them remain at the leading edge of development in the area of open source software.

CETIC coordinates this Centre of Expertise, and is responsible for the active involvement of SMEs in project activities. CETIC also leads the main research themes and triggers specific dissemination activities that target enterprises.

CETIC is specifically responsible for:

• Deploying the project portal (called PALLAVI), based on a forge, and supporting dissemination of the project outcomes: https://forge.pallavi.be/wiki/cellavi.
• Quality assurance of open source software, in particular the analysis of metrics, software life-cycle and software product lines.
• Specific expertise on the use of open source software for embedded devices, specifi cally open hardware.
• Dissemination and exploitation of project results.

The PALLAVI portal has served as a proof-of-concept of a forge sized to the needs of typical SMEs. The study conducted for the selection of the forge, in which a methodology was defi ned for comparing several open source alternatives, has aroused signifi cant interest. Several partners have decided to implement a forge on their premises, taking advantage of the collaborative tools and methods developed by the open source communities. The CELLaVI website is now hosted on the forge wiki.

The operational aspects of PALLAVI are backed by general purpose open source expertise, focused mainly on infrastructures and aligned with local industry needs, tackling virtualisation techniques and open source cloud middleware in particular.

The quality of open source software is crucial, if it is to be adopted and used in a business context. The project benefi ts from the results of the QualOSS project, that are in turn further developed via the CELLaVI project.

The project activities also include progress on training aspects and on legal expertise, managed by MULTITEL and FUNDP/CRID respectively. With regard to exploitation of the research results, specific advice has been provided to several partners and local companies.

A second edition of the Open the Source event (www.openthesource.be) is planned for 2011. Well-known speakers have already agreed to participate. This second edition will be organised in collaboration with INFOPOLE Cluster TIC, the LIEU network (Interfaces Entreprises Universités) and the Cluster TIC from Brussels.

Many other activities have been organised to strengthen the network of actors in the open source domain, notably several presentations made at the Rencontres Mondiales du Logiciel Libre. As well, information about open source software and about the project has been widely disseminated via both generic and specific media.