introducing osgeo.nl - the dutch language local chapter of osgeo

OSGeo.nl-

The Dutch Language Chapter of OSGeo

Just van den Broecke OSGeo Ghent 2013

June 13, 2013www.justobjects.nl

www.osgeo.nl

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://osgeo.nl

http://osgeo.nl

About MeIndependent Open Source Geospatial Professional

Secretary OSGeo Dutch Local Chapter Member of the Dutch OpenGeoGroep

Just van den [email protected] www.justobjects.nl

Today I am mainly here as former trailblazer and now secretary (secretaris) of the OSGeo.nl, the Dutch Language Local Chapter of the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo).

1. Open Source2. OSGeo.org 3. OSGeo.nl

Agenda

Our main topic for today will be OSGeo.nl.

What is Open Source?

What is Open Source (for Geospatial)?

I will first share some of my views on Open Source for Geospatial, as “spatial seems special” when looking at some core requirements and architectures in the spatial domain. In many other aspects “Spatial IT” is like regular IT.

Source CodeIs

(Almost) Irrelevant


Huh ? We’re at an Open Source conference and you’re stating this? Hopefully got your attention. Let me explain this further. Many people, especially those from outside the software industry, look at software like crown jewels, the most valuable asset, that needs to be guarded and sold in as large quantities as possible. Selling licenses would be the (only) road to richness. Giving software away for free seems plain stupid. While this holds true for some very large companies like MS and some lone IOS-app-builders, there is more to the picture. Like the great Paul Ramsey (OpenGeo/PostGIS) said in his 2009 FOSS4G Sydney keynote: The Whole Product is what counts. Most of the money is earned, both in proprietary and open source, by adding value to the bare software. After talking a little bit about earning money (if time permits), I will show you my view on what “Open Geospatial” is about. Also there the actual software is just one of the (three) enabling pillars of a greater good...

CASCADOSS: Model of Berlecon Research (2002)

Software Value-Chain

From: CASCADOSS Del. 1.5 KULeuvenwww.berlecon.de/studien/downloads/200207FLOSS_Basics.pdf

The SVC was taken from an earlier study from Berlecon als available on the net. But I will lead you through the essentials.

http://www.berlecon.de/studien/downloads/200207FLOSS_Basics.pdf

http://www.berlecon.de/studien/downloads/200207FLOSS_Basics.pdf

Software Value Chain

From: CASCADOSS Del. 1.5 KULeuven

Each step adds value. Note: I am not talking about value in terms of money, just value, for example for a customer.“The steps in this value-chain are:-Software development: analysis, design, programming and testing of the software.-Documentation: writing documentation (API documentation, Reference Manual, User Guides, Tutorials, Howto's, FAQs, ...)-Software packaging: creating a user-friendly package of the software; bundling the software with other packages.-Marketing/sales: marketing the software, closing sales, promoting wide-spread adoption, distribution.-Consulting: providing consultancy with respect to the software. -Integration/custom development: Integrating the software in the client's systems,customizing it for user-specific needs-Training: training in the use or customization of the software-Support: end-user support (telephone, e-mail), installation and update support, bug fixing-Application management: operational management of the client's applications based on the software.”

This chain is really no different than a value-chain for proprietary software. “Revenue-generating activities in the value chain such as training, support and consultancy remain unaffected.” No business model yet here. Business models/tactics are basically one or more slices where you want to intercept in this chain. Let’s look at a few of them.


Development





Development Documentation





Development PackagingDocumentation





Development PackagingDocumentationMarketing/

Sales






Sales

Consulting






Sales

Consulting Integration






Sales

Consulting TrainingIntegration






Sales

Consulting TrainingIntegration Support






Sales

Consulting TrainingIntegration Support ApplicationManagement




Model 2: Support Seller


Sales



“In this model the company that creates a F/OSS product offers support services to users of the product. The model is based on the premiss that the creators of a software are the best suited to provide support because they are the creators.”



?



Support Packages:

SLAs

Fixed Price Support Subscription

“Standardized support packages are offered as an SLA or support subscription for a fixed price on a (typically) yearly basis. This last model is the most important”



Could be also a third-party, i.e. not the company that is the creator of the FOSS product.

Model 3: Platform Provider


Sales



“The company bundles several F/OSS products into a complete solution or platform. The company provides quality-assurances that the selected products work together. ...This model is usually combined with the (Third-Party) Support Seller Model. First, because it is far easier to support and bug-fix a complete solution (platform) as it implies greater control over the operating environment. Secondly, the value proposition is enhanced for the customer if he can source the platform and related support services for the same supplier.”



?


License Fee

usually combined with

Support Seller


“Usually a license fee. However, the business model is mostly combined with a support seller model. In that case, the license fee will cover access to support services together with the bundled product.”



We see the familiar Red Hat bundling Linuxes, but more and more platform providers in the open soruce geospatial arena.

Model 4: Consulting


Sales



“The company provides consulting and customization services with respect to a range of F/OSS products. This model is certainly the most widely adopted model.”


Model 4: Consulting

?


Consulting Services (p/hour)Fixed Price Custom Development

Model 4: Consulting

“Services are usually sold on a time & means basis. Custom developments are often contracted on a fixed price basis.”


Model 4: Consulting

Many of you. Also means competition. This is good for customers. But you may also want to think to get into one of the other models that may be more niche like the SAAS/PAAS (hosted solutions) where geospatial services built on FOSS are provided In The Cloud (not treated here)...So from a business perspective I hope you have seen that it is not just about the bare software.

Open .... Geospatial===

Four Things


Back to the Three Pillars and the Four Things. Ok, but what, let’s count.

OpenData


1

When we are building SDIs, albeit open or closed, we need data, raster, vector, lots of it. Without data we usually can’t do much in a geospatial application. Think of background basemaps (yes, maps are also data!) to start with. Open Data means different things to different people. Some data for example is “less than open”. Take Google Maps. Read the GM TOU. But we are in prosperous times w.r.t. Open data: more and more governments open up (PDOK in the Netherlands e.g.), OpenStreetMap is blossoming and within the EU the INSPIRE legislation opens up many silo’s. Check out the presentation by Arnulf Christl on “Open Data in the Geospatial Context:” http://metaspatial.net/conferences/gwf2013_opendata.html#/ . How are you in Belgium doing with open data? It is good to see that today we have several talks on Open Data today , like “The current status of Open Data in Flanders” by Pieter Colpaert and the next speaker(s) introducing (the value and fun of) OpenStreetMap. So in the beginning was the Open Data!

OpenData

OpenStandards


2

Secondly, no Open Source yet, Open Standards. Most, if not all SDI’s are distributed, interconnected systems. So we need even more standards than other IT-domains. Open Standards for example, for network protocols and data formats to exchange raster, vector information and metadata. While we need lots of Open Data we would rather not have too many Open Standards, just a few good ones. What are “good standards” ? A whole subject by itself. Also we are lucky with some commonly established geo-standards, maybe they are not optimal (WFS!GML!), but there are not so many to choose from: raster images via WMS, vector via WFS, metadata via CSW, coverages via WCS, geoprocessing via WPS. WIth WMS and WFS the most abundant.

OpenData

OpenStandards


Open Source

3

O yes, and thirdly we need Open Source software as well. With Open Source meaning that the source code is available under an Open Source license. Many options here: from GNU GPL to Public Domain. So we have a nucleus of three aspects that in my view are the relevant pillars for “Open Geospatial”. So what would be the fourth?

Open Source

OpenData

OpenStandards

OpenProcesses


4

The fourth aspect is what one could call “Open Processes”. These define the activities and rules for people to build, extend and use the nucleus.Without these Open Processes the first three elements would be just “dead matter”.

Open Source

OpenData

OpenStandards

OpenCommunities


4

“Open Processes” should better be called “Open Communities”. In the end it is all about people, ranging from developers to end-users, working together.This collaboration is usually very distributed in these communities, more and more enabled by The Cloud (should mention The Cloud at least once in any talk). One can view Open Communities as concentric circles around the nucleus: anyone can make a contribution and anyone can decide on his/her amount of involvement.Note that these communities are not just about developers! The most successful Open Source projects have vibrant communities of both (end)-users and developers. In reality there are many more roles and the distinction between user and developer is not even important. An end-user may for example contribute to a native translation in her language of messages emitted by the software or the documentation, a designer may create a nice logo: hence “contributors” would be a better notion.

Open Source

OpenData

OpenStandards

People


4

Eventually all this Open Source/Data/Standards is an enabler for people working together! People may have different motivations to contribute: even large companies like Intergraph may contribute to let’s say GDAL for specific drivers. Software is basically encoded human knowledge. I always find “My Software” a strange notion, as one usually makes a small addition to a huge pyramid of knowledge from the commons. I mean from the OS you are running, up to libraries, algorithms and widgets you are using or copying, they all have been invented/reviewed/refined through decades of human activity. I like the FOSS phrase: “I am (merely) standing on the shoulders of giants”. Closing the whole pyramid off and saying “this is mine” seems from that perspective awkward. It is also a personal choice that I rather live in a world of sharing and giving. (Plus you meet nice people too!). “Mixed Source” gives me mixed feelings.

“Proprietary SoftwareKeeps Users

Helpless and Divided”


Richard M. Stallman

INTERVIEW Richard Matthew Stallman (RMS) on the importance of free software: http://www.techradar.com/news/software/proprietary-software-keeps-users-helpless-963248 (and many other refs on the web). The term Open Source came along much later (end 90s), not all, like RMS, were happy with that term as it dilutes the case for Free Software/GNU GPL. Hence some people talk about FOSS i.s.o. Open Source.

Open Source/Data/StandardsEmpowers and Unites

People


Though I fully agree with RMS-statement, I often like to reverse RMS’s statement.

Example: Let’s Git to the

Hub-

GitHub1. What is Open Source for Geospatial?

GitHub is just one of the many platforms “In The Cloud” where people, both users and developers, work together on Open Source in a transparent environment. Many of the managerial tasks, like reporting, have been automated such that the focus can be on the actual products. Sorry for your managers! These days GitHub resembles almost a social medium like Facebook. “Social Coding”. Wiki’s and other collaboration platforms are abundant. Sending Word and Excel documents and code via email has become something we did in the dark ages....

Open SourceGeospatialEcosystems

This new way of collaboration on a global scale is what I find one of the fascinating aspects of open source. Lets get back into the open geospatial world and see how it is actually organized, introducing some of the major organizational players.

Lake ecosystem: Source: Georgia Department of Natural Resources

Wikipedia: “An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals and microbes) in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment (things like air, water and mineral soil), interacting as a system.[2]. “. Usually natural ecosystems are taken as a model for forms of sustainability. Like for example aquatic ecosystems. There’s a tension between chaos and an equilibrium like entropy and energy. Sustainability sort of comes natural with FOSS: software is created as needed by users or developers (itches) i.s.o. a marketing strategy (apps!!). It is harder to produce excess. “Sustainable FOSS projects” is another matter, often still problematic, but with the Cloud as enabler we find more and more opportunities like crowd funding.


Users Developers

OpenProcesses

The Open Geospatial Ecosystem

I like this idea of ecosystems in Open Source: Users, Developers, Software tied together to produce long-term ever-increasing value that is greater than the sum of individuals and software components. Within FOSS4G the notion of Open Standards, Open Data and Crowd Sourcing also tends to make these components even better integrated. OGC standards also raise competition in performance/quality/features for similar products. Think of WMS shootouts...Also there is a strong tendency here to build on each other’s work, “standing on the shoulders of giants”. Client and server projects “working towards each other” where standards are vague (SRS/CRS encoding, Axis Ordering!!). In practice many projects build on core geospatial libraries such as GDAL/OGR and GeoTools.

http://geotux.tuxfamily.org/index.php/en/geo-blogs/item/291-comparacion-clientes-web-v6

When we zoom in we would find sub-ecosystems. This example shows the major geospatial web-mapping clients and their interrelations.And just as in a real world eco-system: species arise, dominate for some time and die off. Look how many build on OpenLayers. Watch the now Leaflet island in the next years....But given our limited timeframe I would like to stick to some of the major inhabitants of our global ecosystem, that is 3 major organizations.




Users Developers

OpenProcesses


OpenStandards

When looking at Open Standards for Geospatial, the OGC, OpenGeoSpatial Consortium is the main one to go to.

www.opengeospatial.org

The first place to look for geospatial standards is the Open Geospatial Consortium or OGC. http://www.opengeospatial.org/


Users Developers

OpenProcesses


OpenStandards

OpenData

Open Data: the OpenStreetMap or OSM can be somewhat compared to Wikipedia, in the sense that users are jointly gathering geodata via crowdsourcing to build a map of the entire world. But in essence OSM is about the data itself as a map is just a specific rendering of the data. Think of other apps like routing and geocoding. Other open data sources are more and more governments like via PDOK www.pdok.nl in the Netherlands making their geodata available via webservices (WMS/WFS) or downloads. Within the EU the INSPIRE initiative is a great driver for this movement. How is your country doing?

OSM is also an entire software and service ecosystem (built with Open Source) to manage all aspects of geodata management via The Cloud. From gathering, editing and mapmaking to map-bugtracking. Using the OSM software stack one could even build an SDI. You will be hearing more about OSM in the next talk


Users Developers

OpenProcesses


OpenStandards

OpenData

OpenSource

Last but not in the very least, when it comes to Open Source for Geospatial, the Open Source Geospatial Foundation, or OSGeo, is your one-stop shop.OSGeo software tends to use many of the OGC standards (e.g. WMS, WFS, CSW). Much of OSM software made with OSGeo products (e.g. GDA/OGR, PostGIS etc).

Open Source Geospatial Foundation

www.osgeo.org

Your Open Source Compass ...organizes geospatial IT

So what is OSGeo?

From: http://arnulf.us/Publications#2011 GIN Pres

From the Live DVD presentation by Cameron Shorter https://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/livedvd/promo/trunk/en/presentation/


This image is somewhat outdated: off course Geomajas has now been graduated.

http://2013.foss4g.org

http://2013.foss4g.org/

http://2013.foss4g.org/

From: http://www.slideshare.net/justb4/osgeonl-introductie-geo-freedom-day

http://www.slideshare.net/justb4/osgeonl-introductie-geo-freedom-day

http://www.slideshare.net/justb4/osgeonl-introductie-geo-freedom-day

OSGeo Bolsena -Codesprint

Mission“Stimuleren van het gebruik en de ontwikkeling van open source software voor geo-

informatie in het Nederlandse Taalgebied”

Slogan

“Wegwijs in Open Geo-ICT”

Like OSGeo.org we aim to be a compass, “wegwijzer”, within the land of Dutch-language Geo-ICT.

.nl = ISO Language Code

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ISO_639-1_codes



We Have More Common Interests

Voor Wie?

Iedereen die “iets” met Open Geo-ICT

doet wil doen

of interesse heeft(en dit kan lezen)

Uiteraard voor iedereen, we willen vooral niet een club ontwikkelaars worden, of een club gebruikers. We willen er juist zijn voor een zo breed mogelijke schakering van mensen uit grofweg 3 groepen: Users (end-users, integrators), Developers, Students (Universiteiten, (Hoge)scholen).

Voor Wie?

DevelopersUsers

Students

Uiteraard voor iedereen, we willen vooral niet een club ontwikkelaars worden, of een club gebruikers. We willen er juist zijn voor een zo breed mogelijke schakering van mensen uit grofweg 3 groepen: Users (end-users, integrators), Developers, Students (Universiteiten, (Hoge)scholen). We want to create a platform where these groups can meet, interact, exchange ideas etc. We want to be open to those just seeking information, seeking software, wanting to do business or that want

ActivitiesEvents: OSGeo.nl Dag, GWFLocal initiatives “Stammtish”

Space for SIGs

Do-ocracy !

www.meetup.com/OSGeoNL/

Just van den Broecke - GeoFreedomDay 2012

68

Coach

The DreamTeam

Keynote

Technical Business & Application

OSGeo Open Source Seminar - Geospatial World Forum - 25 April 2012 - Amsterdam

MarketingCoach

2012OSGeo/FOSS Seminar GWF

69

Jun 2012OSGeo.nl Day

70


72



But my role here today is as I call it trailblazer for OSGeo.nl the Dutch Chapter of OSGeo. I will tell you more about OSGeo and OSgeo.nl later.

OSGeo.nl Stats op 100613• 111 subscribers op [Dutch] mailinglijst

• 90 leden ingeschreven op OSGeo.org Wiki

• 47 IRCs gehouden, notulen en chat-logs

• Wiki + Website www.osgeo.nl operationeel

• Social media: Twitter (geen FB en G+), Meetup

• 5 key events gehouden (2xNJ Borrel, 2xGWF, OSGeo.nl Dag)

• GeoStammtisches, o.a. 2x Wageningen

• OSGeo.org Local Chapter status verkregen 22 maart 2012

• Stichtings Akte passeren: 21 juni 2013


http://www.osgeo.nl

http://www.osgeo.nl

Meedoen?Opgeven via www.osgeo.nl

- registreer op OSGeo.org Wiki- voeg je naam toe aan “Dutch” leden- registreer op [Dutch] mailing lijst

http://www.osgeo.nl

http://www.osgeo.nl

For Discussion

- what would you like to see from OSGeo.nl?- would you like an active role?- would you like to present at OSGeo.nl Day?

OSGeo.nl : we like to be a do-ocracy. If you have an idea let us, via e.g. Dutch mailing list know. What activities would you like to see?

Concluding

Open .... Geospatial===

Four Things


Bakc to the Three Pillars and the Four Things. Ok, but what, let’s count.

1. Open Data2. Open Standards3. Open Source4. Open Communities

Open SourceGeospatialEcosystems

OSGeo - OGC - OSM

Doe Mee !

Thank You!

introducing osgeo.nl - the dutch language local chapter of osgeo

Technology

software development

software valuechainfrom

proprietary software

software packaging

software industry

bare software

actual software

software awayfor free