Seven Steps to Adress Open Source Software Development
"Open source software (OSS) is here to stay - many companies have extensive OSS deployments - and many web presences of Fortune 500 companies rely heavily on OSS. Many IT managers find OSS to be cheaper, more flexible and more secure than proprietary software offered by the software behemoths (e.g., Oracle, SAP, etc.). OSS is having a major impact on how companies deal with IT projects, mergers and acquisitions and the development of key intellectual property assets.
In an article published by our friends at the Practising Law Institute, Stephen Mutkoski of Microsoft Corporation (yes, that Microsoft - they know the OSS score) lays out some of the issues involved with using OSS in development projects."
He advises:
1. Create an open source policy for your company.
2. Educate, educate, educate
3. Create a process for responding to developer requests
4. Carefully document the use of OSS
5. Use experts
6. Examine and modify your due diligence practices.
7. Audit your products before you release them.
From InhouseBlog.
