startupmania

These days, in addition to working on SmartPilot2, I’m working on OPEN2010, a convention on open-source applications for organizations.

When working on such a convention, one must focus on attributes such as cluster control and operation, virtualization solutions, open telco solutions, development environments and various infrastructure products. These are the topics that are most interesting to IT managers in large organizations, and each will receive it’s own dedicated program.

This time, however, I’ve opened two additional tracks: OPEN GOV, which will deal with open-source solutions in the public sect; and another, which may be very interesting to our readers, called OPEN STARTUP. This last one will focus on those special scenarios that go along with start-ups based on open-source and are aimed at the open source world.

There is an abundance of open-source start-ups, in Israel as well as around the world. Some of our local examples include Cultura, Tersus and Boxee which are doing very well, as well as Comranet which was sold to Redhat. Redhat itself, as well as JBoss, MySQL and even Magento (which just raised about $20 million) were all once open-source start-ups. The commercial destinations of many of these start-ups are very similar to regular start-ups, but the operational method of these start-ups, and their relationship with the community, clientele, potential buyers and even investors is very unique.

In the OPEN STARTUP assembly, I will try and give a platform to venture capital investors who invest in open-source start-ups, and tell of their willingness to invest in a project that offers a solution using someone else’s code, as well as release its own, probably expensive, code to others. We’ll also be talking with start-up founders who are not afraid of opening their code to the competition, even if some malevolent agency is willing to copy their product and rerelease it under a different name. Lastly, we’ll be hearing from a legal expert that will explain the legal and future ramification of basing a start-up on open source. Naturally, we’ll also be hearing from a development managers of successful start-ups that will relate the pros and cons of basing development resources on open and free software products.

Personally, I’m having a hard time understanding how you can even start a new start-up without using some form of existing open source models. But I also can’t wrap my head around what exactly is allowed and what it isn’t. Especially seeing how my start-up is using open-source technologies and then selling a closed service through the cloud. It must be mentioned that the large gallery of licensing options that has developed around the open-source world isn’t really helping me make heads and tails of things.

I can only assume the OPEN STARTUP lectures will be very interesting for entrepreneurs, investors and development personnel who want to get a new product off the ground. If you happen to have an offer for an amazing twenty minute lecture and wish to be granted a stage – I’d be happy to hear about it.

Translated by Itai Rosenbaum