Open Source in the JISC Information Environment

1
Open Source in the JISC (Information) Environment

• John Paschoud

2
The Problem

• JISC has invested Ms in the design of
  framework, standards and applications for the IE
  (eLib, 5/99, FAIR, X4L, 7/02..)
• Good content-building outcomes
• Good learning outcomes (weve learned how to do
  it)
• but few actual product/tool outcomes have
  succeeded in gaining wider adoption

3
OSSD Successes

• Established case already for OS utilities and
  infrastructure components, e.g.
• Samba
• Apache
• Linux
• MySQL
• PHP
• OpenOffice
• but not so for large-scale, multi-user
  applications

4
OSSD Issues

• Shared tools compatibility with a common IE for
  FHE
• Notable gap in JORUM
• for content, not s/w support
• Institutional (or individual) ideological
  opposition to OS
• in favour of solutions that are supported by
  business economies, with different interests
  objectives
• Must be coordinated
• any single (UK) institution is too small

5
What could a JISC OSSD pilot do?

• Establish a sound project-to-product model as a
  JISC standard
• Find (one or more) economic models for
  self-sustainability of OSSD
• Solve institutional dilemma of Who will sell us
  the OS alternative? (We will!)
• Lead further development of ANGEL server as an
  institutional Collection-Level Registry
• Identify a directory of OSSD applications
  relevant to FHE
• Select/agree other OSS products to be hosted

6
Questions

• Is this a gap that needs filling?
• Is JISC the appropriate body to take this
  forward?
• What other bodies should be involved?
• Who (else) needs convincing?