The Development Commons: A Virtuous Circle of Software Production for Virtuous Organisations

Old business models based on building proprietary software, don't work with open source software. Is there a business model for building open source software? Freeform Solutions, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping other not-for-profits effectively use technology, has created a "development commons" among its clients, where each one contributes to the development of software, and each one benefits from the contributions of others. This presentation will examine i) the unique constraints that led to the development commons, ii) how it operates in practice, and iii) what conditions might be necessary for similar open source business models.

Jason Cote, President and CEO, Freeform Solutions Jason Cote is the President and CEO of Freeform Solutions, a not-for-profit organization that helps other not-for-profits use technology to meet their mission goals. Prior to co-founding Freeform Solutions, Jason founded Virtual Adventures Camps Canada (now Actua). He has held senior positions at Canarie, as well as chief executive positions at Actua, and CanadaHelps, all three of them leading national not-for-profits that excel in the use of information technology. Today, Jason oversees all operations at Freeform, and works with clients and staff to build the IT capacity of the not-for-profit sector. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Systems Engineering and an MBA.

Julian Egelstaff, Sr. Dir., Consulting Services, Freeform Solutions Julian Egelstaff is the Senior Director of Consulting Services at Freeform Solutions, a not-for-profit organization that helps other not-for-profits use technology to meet their mission goals. Prior to co-founding Freeform Solutions, Julian held a variety of positions in project management, documentation, and internal tool development at Corel and later Cognos. Today, Julian oversees all consulting projects, manages client relationships and coordinates Freeform's open source development efforts. Julian has 7 years experience in PHP development, recently becoming a ZCE. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Philosophy, and has completed some graduate studies in Cognitive Science.