1.
Free / Open Source Software
(OSS)
in ICT research
Sandro D’Elia
European Commission
Information Society and Media Directorate General
Software & Service Architectures and Infrastructures Unit

2.
What is this presentation about?
Open source and research
why OSS is good for ICT research (and for commercial products too)
What does it mean?
not all OSS are equals - some definitions.
What is European Union doing
Ongoing research activities and funding opportunities
What is EU doing outside research
There is something outside research. What is EU doing about it?

3.
Why is OSS good for research?
Scientist: “My research project should deliver final results
in 2 months. What about that software we need?”
Manager: “Don’t worry, I already talked to procurement
people. They will use the fast procedure.”
Scientist: “Great! How long will it take?”
Manager: “Only six months.”
OSS is not only about savings on licence costs!

4.
Free Software vs. Open Source
Free Software GNU license can be applied
Free Software Foundation to documentation
and other media
R. Stallman - 1984 (e.g. Wikipedia)
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html
Open Source
Open Source Initiative
E. Raymond, B. Perens - 1998
http://opensource.org/docs/osd

5.
FREE SOFTWARE DEFINITION
The four freedoms:
The freedom to run the program, for any purpose.
The freedom to study how the program works, and change it to make it
do what you wish. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor.
The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements
(and modified versions in general) to the public, so that the whole
community benefits. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
http://www.gnu.org/philisophy/free-sw.html

6.
OPEN SOURCE DEFINITION
1. Free Redistribution - The license shall not restrict any party from selling
or giving away the software
2. Source Code - The program must include source code
3. Derived Works - The license must allow modifications and derived works
4. Integrity of The Author's Source Code - The license may restrict
source-code from being distributed in modified form under specific conditions
5. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups
6. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor
7. Distribution of License
8. License Must Not Be Specific to a Product
9. License Must Not Restrict Other Software
10. License Must Be Technology-Neutral
http://opensource.org/docs/osd

7.
DEFINITION(s)
1. Free Redistribution - The license shall not restrict any
party from selling or giving away the software
2. Source Code - The program must include source code
3. Derived Works - The license must allow modifications
and derived works
4. Integrity of The Author's Source Code - The license
may restrict source-code from being distributed in modified
form under specific conditions
5. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups The freedom to run the program, for any purpose.
6. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor
7. Distribution of License The freedom to study how the program works, and
8. License Must Not Be Specific to a Product change it to make it do what you wish. Access to the
9. License Must Not Restrict Other Software source code is a precondition for this.
10. License Must Be Technology-Neutral
The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your
neighbor.
http://opensource.org/docs/osd
The freedom to improve the program, and release your
improvements (and modified versions in general) to the
public, so that the whole community benefits. Access to
the source code is a precondition for this.
http://www.gnu.org/philisophy/free-sw.html

8.
Free Software vs. Open Source
Free Software is Open Source
Open Source can be not-free
examples:
- TiVo digital video recorder uses Open Source software with hardware restrictions (Tivoization)
- Open Source Digital Rights Management is not Free Software
In European Institutions, the traditional word is FLOSS
F = Free / Frei
L = Libre / Livre / Libero
O = Open
S = Source
S = Software

9.
Why is OSS good for research?
OSS is a way to
– develop or maintain software
– distribute and reuse software
in a manner facilitating:
• fast innovation and improvement cycles
• high code quality through transparent and verifiable
process
(Linus' Law: given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow)

10.
Why is OSS bad for research?
OSS is a way to
– dump a few libraries on a Forge
– forget about it
– hope that a “community” will automagically be created and
solve all your technical problems
so that:
• your research project looks cool
• you have an excuse to avoid working on
dissemination of your scientific results
(“but we released everything as open source!”)

11.
Why is OSS good for products?
Upgrade
(take an existing software and add features to it)
Modify / Fork
(take an existing software and customize it)
Community support
(got a problem? Somebody has already solved it)
And by the way, here are a few OSS-based
products I own...

12.
Why is OSS bad for products?
Here are just a few major Linux
distributions….
Governance can be a real problem!
Darwinian evolution model for OSS products

13.
FOSS in ICT research
How is EU research organized?
the theory:
➔
Framework Programme (FP7)
➔
Workprogramme (e.g.: 2009-10)
➔
Objectives (e.g.: 1.2)
in practice:
Calls for Proposals (e.g.: FP7-ICT-2009-5)
Selection of proposals
Funding of research projects
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html

14.
FOSS in ICT research
workprogramme 2009/2010
Objectives 1.2.: Internet of Services, Software and Virtualisation
a) Service Architectures and Platforms for the Future Internet
Service Front Ends ….
Open, scalable, dependable service platforms, architectures, and specific platform components…
Virtualised infrastructures…
b) Highly Innovative Service / Software Engineering
Service / Software engineering methods and tools…
Verification and validation…
Methods, tools and approaches specifically supporting the development, deployment and evolution
of open source software. Investigation into the use of open source approaches for
improving service engineering, deployment, management, evolution and take-up.
c) Coordination and support actions
Support for standardisation and collaboration…
Maximisation of impact of projects in this area…
Application of open source models of development and innovation through rapid
cycles of reuse and improvement to service engineering.
search CORDIS web site for info

15.
Some OSS research projects in INFSO
(ongoing in 2010)
Forge technology: facilitating access/re-use
and supporting collaboration
Methodologies and tools to improve productivity and quality
of software products
Quality assessment, based on product and process, to
facilitate selection of software satisfying given expectations
Dependency management in large systems with
versioned components
Deployment and societal impact of OSS

16.
Research projects in ICT Call 5 (starting 2010)
Projects with primary focus on OSS
Open-Source platform for
Secure WebOS Application
Delivery Environment
Open-Source API and Active support and reaL-time
Platform for Multiple coordination open source
Clouds software developmenT
Projects releasing full OSS results
CHOReOS Cloud-TM CONTRAIL FastFix FITTEST Indenica OMELETTE PLAY
REMICS Serenoa SOCIETIES SocIoS VISION (+ mOSAIC, WAX, ALERT)
Projects releasing partial OSS results
4CaaST ACSI Cloud4SOA I2Web OPTIMIS VIPER
Projects not mentioning OSS
CumuloNimbo

17.
OSS research in INFSO
The trends
Most projects release their code as Open Source
but is this enough? Putting code on a repository does not guarantee that
it will be used!
Open source is a good idea for most project evaluators :-)
during evaluations of project proposals, typically highest marks are given
to proposals which will release their results as OSS
Cloud computing means Open Source
in cloud environments, “old” licensing modes are not easily applicable.
There is a strong trend toward OSS in the cloud.
Economic model: software is free, you pay for the service

18.
OSS research in INFSO
The vision
Open source is not good for everybody
in many cases, companies need to protect their intellectual property
rights to exploit an idea after investing on it
Open source is a very powerful tool
easy for SMEs, fast time to market, many success stories, a cornerstone
for academic research
There is no “research on Open Source”
(code does not change its behaviour if it is OSS or proprietary)
BUT: - “community” development model is very interesting for research
- “forge” tools are interesting for software development
- OSS has an important positive impact on society
- OSS is very good for dissemination of project results

19.
Open Source and Open Standards
at the European Commission
Open source and Open
Standards are related to
many different policy areas
for the European Union
Different DGs of the
European Commission have
initiatives in these areas

20.
Open Source and Open Standards
at the European Commission
Open standards e.g.
in IT procurement
Research and
future internet
IPR policies
for OSS Public
procurement
e-government
Consumer protection

21.
Open Source and Open Standards
at the European Commission
Competition (DG COMP): policy for open and well
documented standards e.g. in IT procurement.
Vision: standards and patents should not create barriers to innovation
Example: Commissioner Kroes speech 2008 http://
europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/317
Health and Consumer (DG SANCO):
policy for consumer rights and protection
Vision: proposed directive for consumer rights should give the same level of
consumer protection across EU, also for contracts related to software
(opportunity for OSS)
Example: proposed “Consumer Protection” directive
http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/rights/docs/COMM_PDF_COM_2008_0614_F_EN_PROPOSITION_DE_DIRECTIVE.pdf
Enterprise and industry (DG ENTR): standardization
Vision: ICT standards should improve IPR policies to accommodate the open source
model
Example: white paper “Modernising ICT Standardisation in the EU - The Way Forward”
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/document.cfm?action=
display&doc_id=3152&userservice_id=1

22.
Open Source and Open Standards
at the European Commission
Internal Market (MARKT): policy for public procurement
Vision: public Tenders should use Open Standards and be vendor neutral
(Directive 2004/18/EC)
If an infringement is reported, DG MARKT can ask for an infringement
procedure
http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/publicprocurement/legislation_en.htm
http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/publicprocurement/policy_en.htm

23.
Open Source and Open Standards
at the European Commission
Informatics (DIGIT): interoperability solutions
Old IDABC programme --> new ISA programme
Support of interoperability
Reusable generic tools
Common services
Strong focus on Open Source as interoperability enabler
– EUPL – open source license adapted to EU legal systems
– OSOR.EU – open source repository for public administrations
– ePractice – community of best practices for public administrations
http://ec.europa.eu/isa/
http://ec.europa.eu/idabc
http://www.osor.eu/
http://www.epractice.eu/

24.
Open Source and Open Standards
at the European Commission
Question: “How did you write this nice presentation on
Open Source?”
Answer: “With Microsoft PowerPoint, of course.
It is the standard tool in use at the European Commission.”
… but luckily I was able to make last-minute changes using
Ubuntu and OpenOffice on my netbook, because open
source software is flexible and based on open standards.

25.
Contact Information
European Commission, INFSO D 3 unit –
“Software and Services”
e-mail: infso-st@ec.europa.eu
Unit Web Site:
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/ssai/foss-home_en.html
FP7 Web Site: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/