Leading organizations unite to create a new IT event: the Open World Forum

The Free/Libre/Open Source Software (FLOSS) movement is revolutionizing the IT industry. At the very heart of this revolution, the Open World Forum will gather together thousands of attendees and 160 speakers from 20 countries to cross­fertilize FLOSS initiatives for innovation and competitiveness. It will define the first ever roadmap over the next decade: the 2020 FLOSS Roadmap

Paris, 31 October 2008: Leading communities and organizations worldwide are today announcing that they have joined forces to launch a new event: the Open World Forum, FLOSS, Innovation and Competitiveness. Scheduled to take place in Paris on 1­2 December 2008, the Forum will bringing together some of the most respected international experts and provide an international meeting point for all IT stakeholders to cross­fertilize initiatives in Free Libre and Open Source Software.

A new event at the hub of FLOSS research, business and the use of Open Source for innovation and competitiveness

Born out of grassroots IT research, and growing exponentially with the advent of the Internet, the FLOSS movement is inexorably revolutionizing technology, and the way businesses and people use it. According to market analysts, it could grow to represent 30% of the software and IT services market by 2012. This is opening up colossal opportunities and tough challenges. At the very hub of the FLOSS movement, the Open World Forum will provide a central arena to:

• Discover the latest trends and technologies in FLOSS, from high­level business strategies to profound technical insights
• Explore the future of Open Source, with debates and recommendations around the first ever 2020 FLOSS roadmap
• Share insights and best practices with some of the most respected FLOSS experts and entrepreneurs worldwide
• Network with thousands of CxOs, CIOs, IT managers, architects, developers, academics and investors from five continents.
  

The Forum will also play host to a number of associated events and meetings including: the first ever Netbook World Summit; the second international conference on Open Source Quality (QualiPSo Conference); a global overview on key FLOSS technologies for SMEs today; the OpenDay; and a complete track on FLOSS careers. A special session on FLOSS in BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China) will feature Brazil as a special guest.

A key deliverable: the 2020 FLOSS Roadmap

Beyond the conferences themselves, the forum aims to establish a new environment where people can think ahead, identify key trends, challenges and opportunities for the future. What technological and business breakthroughs in FLOSS can we expect tomorrow? What are the impacts on innovation, IT governance, public policies and IT careers? How is FLOSS going to revolution the IT landscape? Bringing together dozens of international experts working on future planning, scenarios and recommendations, the event will deliver the first ever 2020 FLOSS Roadmap covering all these areas.

An initiative open to all IT and FLOSS stakeholders

Established by a leading group of FLOSS communities and players from the IT industry, the event has already attracted

• Many of the largest IT industry players (Alcatel­Lucent, AtosOrigin, Bull, CapGemini, Engineering, Google, IBM, HP, SAP, Serpro, Siemens, Sun, Telefonica, Thales...)
• Leading communities (Apache Software Foundation, Eclipse Foundation, FOSSFA, QualiPSo Consortium, Linux Foundation, Linux Verband, Mozilla Foundation, OSOR.EU, OW2 Consortium, Plone Foundation, Spring...)
• Key research centers and competitiveness clusters (Cap Digital, Carnegie Mellon Silicon Valley, INRIA, Fraunhofer FOKUS, Paris VII University, PSNC, South China University of Technology, State University of Sao Paulo, System@tic, University of Bozen, University of Insubria, University Rey Juan Carlos, Unu Merit…)
• A large network of SMEs from four continents (including Altic, AlterWay, European Dynamics, Elastic Grid, eXo, Ingres, Mandriva, Nexedi, Nuxeo, Ohloh, OpenLogic, OpenWide, Pilot Systems, O'Engine, Wallix... among dozens of others).
  

Many of the world’s most highly respected FLOSS experts will be taking part, as program committee members, panelists and event partners.

The Open World Forum is being overseen by a Steering Committee including two worldwide consortiums (QualiPSo and OW2), several European and French associations and competitiveness clusters (Adullact, AFUL, April, Silicon Sentier, Cap Digital and System@tic Paris Region). The event will be organized by consulting firm ITEMS, with the support of the QualiPSo consortium. It also benefits from the support of a number of European, Brazilian and French institutions.

The detailed program and free registration is available at www.openworldforum.org

Press Contacts:

• ITEMS
  • Laure Jouteau Anne­Marie Jourdain
  • Tel : +33 (0) 1 49 85 03 26
  • E­mail: ljouteau@items­int.eu
• QualiPSo consortium
  • Anne­Marie Jourdain
  • Tel: +33 (0) 1 30 80 32 52
  • E­mail: anne­marie.jourdain@bull.net