Navigating the Open Source Geospatial Ecosystem

Navigating the Open
Source Geospatial
Ecosystem
Just van den Broecke
Geospatial World Forum 2013
Rotterdam - May 16, 2013
www.justobjects.nl

Independent Open Source
Geospatial Professional
www.justobjects.nl
About Me
My name is Just van den Broecke. My daily work is being hired as a consultant/architect/developer
in various open source geospatial projects (like PDOK). I try to combine this with developing Open
Source software myself. In ideal cases I work in projects that sponsor the further development of
the FOSS projects I work on, for example the Heron Mapping Client. You can checkout stuff and
projects via my somewhat 90‘s website. I also will often use the term Free and Open Source for
Geospatial (FOSS4G).

Member of the
OpenGeoGroep (NL)
www.opengeogroep.nl
About Me
With the OGG we have a group of companies doing support/development services for FOSS4G.

Secretary
of the
OSGeo Dutch Language Chapter
About Me
I am former trailblazer and now secretary for OSGeo.nl the Dutch Language Chapter of OSGeo. I will
tell you more about OSGeo and OSGeo.nl later.

Navigating the Open
Source Geospatial
Ecosystem
Just van den Broecke
Geospatial World Forum 2013
Rotterdam - May 16, 2013
www.justobjects.nl
I’ll be presenting some of my ﬁndings and visions from living within the geospatial open source
world for around 8 years. So this is also a story from within.

1.“Open”
2. Ecosystems
3. Monetising
Agenda

What is
Open Source?
What is Open Source (for Geospatial)?

Source Code
Is
(Almost) Irrelevant
A harsh exaggerating statement, but hopefully got your attention. Let me explain this further. We’ll
encounter this fact again in the “monetising” part. Like the great Paul Ramsey (OpenGeo/PostGIS)
said in his 2009 FOSS4G Sydney keynote: The Whole Product is what counts.

Open ‘Source”
Geospatial
=
Four Things
Ok, but what, let’s count.

Open
Data
If we are building SDIs, albeit open or closed, we need data, raster, vector, lots of it. Without open
data we can’t do much. Open Data means different things to different people. Later on Arnulf will
learn us everything about Open Data. Some data for example is “less than open”. Take Google Maps.
But we are in prosperous times w.r.t. Open data: more and more governments open up (PDOK in the
Netherlands e.g.), OpenStreetMap is blossoming and within the EU the INSPIRE legislation opens up
many silo’s.

Open
Data
Open
Standards
Most, if not all SDI’s are distributed interconnected systems, so we need more standards than other
IT-domains. Open Standards for example for protocols and data formats to exchange raster, vector
information and metadata. While we need lots of Open Data we would rather not have too many
Open Standards, just a few good ones. What are “good standards”? A whole subject by itself.
Hopefully many of you were at this morning’s Standards and Interoperability session.

Open
Data
Open
Standards
Open
Source
O yes, and we need Open Source software as well. With Open Source meaning that the source code
is available under an Open Source license. Many options here: from GNU GPL to Public Domain. So
we have a nucleus of three aspects that in my view capture “Open”. So what would be the fourth?

Open
Source
Open
Data
Open
Standards
Open
Processes
The fourth aspect is what one could call “Open Processes”, these are all the activities needed to
build and extend the nucleus.
Without these Open Processes the ﬁrst three elements would just be “dead matter”.

Open
Source
Open
Data
Open
Standards
Open
Communities
“Open Processes” should better be called “Open Communities”. In the end it is all about people,
anywhere from developers to end-users, who are working together.
This collaboration is often very distributed, more and more enabled by The Cloud.
One can view the Communities as concentric circles around the nucleus: anyone can make a
contribution and anyone can decide on his/her amount of involvement.

Open
Source
Open
Data
Open
Standards
People
Eventually all this Open Source/Data/Standards is an enabler for people working together!

“Proprietary Software
Keeps Users
Helpless and Divided”
Richard M. Stallman
INTERVIEW Richard Matthew Stallman (RMS) on the importance of free software: http://www.techradar.com/news/
software/proprietary-software-keeps-users-helpless-963248 (and many other refs on the web). The term Open Source came
along much later (end 90s), not all, like RMS, were happy with that term as it dilutes the case for Free Software/GNU GPL.
Hence some people talk about FOSS i.s.o. Open Source.

Open
Source/Data/Standards
Empowers and Unites
People
Though I fully agree with RMS-statement, I often like to reverse RMS’s statement. I have mixed
feelings about Mixed Source...

Example:
Let’s Git to the
Hub
-
GitHub
1. What is Open Source for Geospatial?
GitHub is just one of the many platforms “In The Cloud” where people, both users and developers,
work together on Open Source in a transparent environment. Many of the managerial tasks, like
reporting, have been automated such that the focus can be on the actual products. These days
GitHub resembles almost a social medium like FaceBook. Wiki’s and other collaboration platforms
are abundant. Sending Word and Excel documents and code via email has become something we
did in the dark ages....

Open Source
Geospatial
Ecosystems
This new way of collaboration on a global scale is what I ﬁnd one of the fascinating aspects of open
source. Lets get back into the open source geospatial world.

Lake ecosystem: Source: Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Usually natural ecosystems are taken as a model for forms of sustainability. Like for example aquatic
ecosystems. There’s a tension between chaos and an equilibrium like entropy and energy.

Users Developers
Open
Processes
The Open Geospatial Ecosystem
I like this idea of ecosystems in Open Source: Users, Developers, Software tied together to produce
long-term ever-increasing value that is greater than the sum of individuals and software
components. Within FOSS4G the notion of Open Standards, Open Data and Crowd Sourcing also
tends to make these components even better integrated. OGC standards also raise competition in
performance/quality/features for similar products. Think of WMS shootouts...
Also there is a strong tendency here to build on each other’s work, “standing on the shoulders of
giants”. In practice many projects build on libraries such as GDAL and GeoTools.

http://geotux.tuxfamily.org/index.php/en/geo-blogs/item/291-comparacion-clientes-web-v6
When we zoom in we would ﬁnd sub-ecosystems. This example shows the major geospatial
mapping clients and their interrelations.
And just as in a realworld eco-system: species arise, dominate for some time and die off. Look how
many build on OpenLayers. Watch the now Leaﬂet island in the next years....But given our limited
timeframe I would like to stick to some of the major inhabitants of our global ecosystem, that is 3
major organizations.

Users Developers
Open
Processes
Open
Standards
When looking at Open Standards for Geospatial, the OGC, OpenGeoSpatial Consortium is the main
one to go to.

www.opengeospatial.org
The ﬁrst place to look for geospatial standards is the Open Geospatial Consortium or OGC. http://
www.opengeospatial.org/

Users Developers
Open
Processes
Open
Standards
Open
Data
Open Data: the OpenStreetMap or OSM can be somewhat compared to Wikipedia, in the sense that
users are jointly gathering geodata via crowdsourcing to build a map of the entire world. But in
essence OSM is about the data itself as a map is just a speciﬁc rendering of the data. Think of other
apps like routing and geocoding. Other open data sources are more and more governments like via
PDOK www.pdok.nl in the Netherlands making their geodata available via webservices (WMS/WFS) or
downloads. Within the EU the INSPIRE initiative is a great driver for this movement. How is your
country doing?

OSM is also an entire software and service ecosystem (built with Open Source) to manage all aspects
of geodata management via The Cloud. From gathering, editing and mapmaking to map-
bugtracking. Using the OSM software stack one could even build an SDI.

Users Developers
Open
Processes
Open
Standards
Open
Data
Open
Source
Last but not in the very least, when it comes to Open Source for Geospatial, the Open Source
Geospatial Foundation, or OSGeo, is your one-stop shop.

Open Source Geospatial Foundation
www.osgeo.org
Your Open Source Compass
...organizes geospatial IT
So what is OSGeo?

From: http://arnulf.us/Publications#2011 GIN Pres

From: http://www.slideshare.net/justb4/osgeonl-introductie-geo-freedom-day

Activities
Events/seminars: OSGeo.nl Dag
Local initiatives “Stammtish”
Space for SIGs
Coop: OSM NL OpenData NL
Do-ocracy !

39
Coach
The DreamTeam
Keynote
Technical Business & Application
OSGeo Open Source Seminar - Geospatial World Forum - 25 April 2012 - Amsterdam
Marketing
Coach
Apr 2012
OSS Seminar GWF

MONETISING
I will talk a bit about monetising, also introducing some Open Source Geo-companies that are part
of the ecosystem we talked about before.

How to Earn Money
with
Open Source
So bluntly put: how the &*%$ can you earn any money with Open Source when you give the software
away for free?

Open Source
is not a
Business Model
I used to say : “I do Open Source”. But without even putting a reference here, we all may know that
Open Source is a development model and not a business model. Hmm.

“Ideals and Concepts by
itself will not sell a
Product”
http://worldisgreen.com/2008/10/17/open-source-and-sustainability-what-do-they-have-in-common/
This is painfully true...from the ref: ”Customers do not buy products/services for their ideals but for the value
they provide to their business.”

Open Source
Business Tactics
But there are off course multiple what one could call “Business Tactics” around Open Source.

The steps that turn inputs
into value-added output
Value-Chain
From: CASCADOSS Del. 1.5 KULeuven
Yes! Transforming input into output, that is what programming is also about.

CASCADOSS:
Model of Berlecon Research (2002)
Software Value-Chain
From: CASCADOSS Del. 1.5 KULeuvenwww.berlecon.de/studien/downloads/200207FLOSS_Basics.pdf
The SVC was taken from an earlier study from Berlecon als available on the net. But I will lead you
through the essentials.

SoftwareValue Chain
Each step adds value. Note: I am not talking about value in terms of money, just value, for example
for a customer.
“The steps in this value-chain are:
-Software development: analysis, design, programming and testing of the software.
-Documentation: writing documentation (API documentation, Reference Manual, User Guides, Tutorials, Howto's, FAQs, ...)
-Software packaging: creating a user-friendly package of the software; bundling the software with other packages.
-Marketing/sales: marketing the software, closing sales, promoting wide-spread adoption, distribution.
-Consulting: providing consultancy with respect to the software.
-Integration/custom development: Integrating the software in the client's systems,
customizing it for user-specific needs
-Training: training in the use or customization of the software
-Support: end-user support (telephone, e-mail), installation and update support, bug fixing
-Application management: operational management of the client's applications based on the software.”
This chain is really no different than a value-chain for proprietary software. “Revenue-generating
activities in the value chain such as training, support and consultancy remain unaffected.” No business model yet
here. Business models/tactics are basically one or more slices where you want to intercept in this
chain. Let’s look at a few of them.

SoftwareValue Chain
Development
for a customer.

SoftwareValue Chain
Development Documentation
for a customer.

SoftwareValue Chain
Development PackagingDocumentation
for a customer.

SoftwareValue Chain
Marketing/
Sales
for a customer.

SoftwareValue Chain
Marketing/
Sales
Consulting
for a customer.

SoftwareValue Chain
Marketing/
Sales
Consulting Integration
for a customer.

SoftwareValue Chain
Marketing/
Sales
Consulting TrainingIntegration
for a customer.

SoftwareValue Chain
Marketing/
Sales
Consulting TrainingIntegration Support
for a customer.

SoftwareValue Chain
Marketing/
Sales
Application
Management
for a customer.

Model 1: Dual-Licensing
Marketing/
Sales
Application
Management
We start easy: The Dual Licensing Model.
“In the dual-licensing model, the software product is available under two different licenses:
- a reciprocal open source license that obligates customers to release their own products also under the reciprocal
license if they include the product as part of their own software products.
- a commercial license that releases the user from his obligation to release under a reciprocal license.
In short: either the customer reciprocates by contributing to the software commons or he pays the developers.”

?
So where’s the money earned here?

Licensing Fees
for
Commercial Licenses
Simple: in license fees. (It is up to you for any judgement.)

ExtJS - JavaScript Lib
Here’s some products that do Dual Licensing. MySQL is probably the best known. ExtJS/Sencha is a
(powerful) GUI component used in various webclients like the GeoExt JavaScript client. ExtJS is also
used in the new Flamingo webclient presented next.

Model 2: Support Seller
Marketing/
Sales
Application
Management
“In this model the company that creates a F/OSS product offers support services to users of the product. The model is based
on the premiss that the creators of a software are the best suited to provide support because they are the creators.”

?

Support Packages:
SLAs
Fixed Price Support
Subscription
“Standardized support packages are offered as an SLA or support subscription for a fixed price on a (typically) yearly basis.
This last model is the most important”

Could be also a third-party, i.e. not the company that is the creator of the FOSS product.

Model 3: Platform Provider
Marketing/
Sales
Application
Management
“The company bundles several F/OSS products into a complete solution or platform. The company
provides quality-assurances that the selected products work together. ...This model is usually combined
with the (Third-Party) Support Seller Model. First, because it is far easier to support and bug-fix a
complete solution (platform) as it implies greater control over the operating environment. Secondly, the
value proposition is enhanced for the customer if he can source the platform and related support
services for the same supplier.”

?

License Fee
usually combined with
Support Seller
“Usually a license fee. However, the business model is mostly combined with a support seller model. In that case, the license fee will cover access to support services together
with the bundled product.”

Model 4: Consulting
Marketing/
Sales
Application
Management
“The company provides consulting and customization services with respect to a range of F/OSS products. This model is certainly the most widely adopted model.”

Model 4: Consulting
?

Consulting Services (p/hour)
Fixed Price Custom Development
Model 4: Consulting
“Services are usually sold on a time & means basis. Custom developments are often contracted on a fixed price basis.”

Model 4: Consulting
Many of you. Also means competition. This is good for customers. But you may also want to think
to get into one of the other models that may be more niche...

Model 5:Accessorizing
Marketing/
Sales
Application
Management
“The company sells physical accessories to F/OSS products. Most important of these are technical books and
manuals.”

?

Revenue from Book Sales

Model 6: Software-as-a-Service
Marketing/
Sales
Application
Management
“In this model F/OSS is used to create a web-accessible application service. Such systems are
labeled ““Software as a Service”” (SaaS).”
These days the buzz-word is “In The Cloud!”.

?

Access and Usage Fees
“Usually the customer pays a monthly fee for access to the application services.”

“The best known company that uses this model is undoubtedly Google. “. Not yet a lot Geospatial activity. Opportunities!!! I
find this one interesting since GIS is a lot about web-services and we have stable Open Source.

Marketing/
Sales
Application
Management
SoftwareValue Chain
So all, in all we have seen these various models intercepting this value chain. As the FOSS4G market is sort of a niche within a niche (GIS) there are still
opportunities here apart from the usual Consulting. The Platform Provider and SaaS are relatively unexplored in FOSS4G, so take that with you...

1. Open Data
2. Open Standards
3. Open Source
4. Open Communities

Open Source
Geospatial
Ecosystems
OSGeo - OGC - OSM

Monetising:
Operating in the
Value Chain

Navigating the Open Source Geospatial Ecosystem

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