education

Why do some open source companies create their own software distribution?

from external blog: http://coppola.rsmart.com/2010/12/20/why-do-some-open-source-companies-create-their-own-software-distribution/

In my role with rSmart I regularly engage in conversations about rSmart’s approach to solving the last mile problem for the Sakai and Kuali communities.

Our approach, like Red Hat, Moodlerooms, and other open source software companies, includes participating actively as a part of these communities, developing a product based on the community software, and engaging with the market to facilitate widespread adoption.

Apples, Oranges, and Open Source

from external blog: http://coppola.rsmart.com/2010/08/12/apples-oranges-and-open-source/

Comparing open source vs. proprietary software is like comparing apples and oranges. It’s a comparison that just doesn’t make sense for anything other than the basic comparison of licensing rights.

There are great variations among open source options, and among proprietary options. Yet many conversations about open source software tend to use very broad generalizations and treat each of these (open or proprietary) as a distinct thing. I’m involved in a lot of conversations about adopting open source software and I’m always struck by the black & white view of proprietary vs. open.

Path Matters

from external blog: http://coppola.rsmart.com/2010/03/17/path-matters/

There’s a conversation going on today on the EDUCAUSE CIO List about criteria for evaluating learning management systems (LMS). Patrick Masson, CIO at SUNY Delhi, suggested in that conversation, that a feature comparison might no longer provide the right assessment criteria. Brad Wheeler, CIO at Indiana University and uber-leader of Community Source in education, responded in agreement. Brad and Patrick each suggest that features among the various LMS options are roughly on par and don’t offer much in terms of differentiation. Brad goes on to suggest that:

Oracle and Rimini Street battle over 3rd party support

from external blog: http://coppola.rsmart.com/2010/03/07/7/

I read the recent news about Rimini Street’s battle with Oracle with great interest this past week.

The Chronicle headline last Sunday was “A Small Company, Promising Major Savings on Vital Software, Lures Colleges.” The issue highlighted in the story:

Cost-conscious colleges are caught in the cross-fire of a legal battle between Rimini Street, the low-cost maintenance provider, and Oracle, a software powerhouse that serves hundreds of higher-education customers. In January, Oracle sued Rimini Street for running what Oracle calls an “illegal” and “corrupt” business model.

The great myth about open source

from external blog: http://coppola.rsmart.com/2009/02/06/the-great-myth-about-open-source/

The great myth about open source is that in order to adopt an open source application like Sakai, Kuali, or Moodle is that you have to hire developers to support it. It baffles me that this is still how most CIOs seem to understand the option: They can either purchase proprietary software, or they can adopt open source and replace the license fees with development staff.

Good news on the Blackboard Edu Patent Front

from external blog: http://coppola.rsmart.com/2008/08/26/good-news-on-the-blackboard-edu-patent-front/

Michael Feldstein picked up on some good news on Desire2Learn’s blog. The US Patent and Trademark Office has denied Blackboard’s request to suspend the re-examination process.

The OPEN The OPEN Forum

from external blog: http://coppola.rsmart.com/2008/07/15/the-open-the-open-forum/

In the past few months I’ve attended the most recent Sakai and Kuali community events. Aside from adding to my collection of great polo shirts I’m also reminded how important these face to face gatherings are. While these communities are very productive working as a globally distributed team, there’s no substitute for the connections made face to face.

Attendees at these community events often remark that they need a forum to engage campus leaders who don’t typically attend the community events.

Nate Moves On

from external blog: http://xolotl.org/blog/xolotl/nate-moves

After 5 years as Portland State's Director for Web Communications, I've moved on to work for The rSmart Group, a commercial provider of open source technologies working mostly in the education sector with Sakai, OSP and Kuali.

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