OSPO: Office of Open Source Programs. Idea of the TODO Group
Both Public organizations (Governments) as Private organizations (Companies) are currently in a growing and progressive use of Free Software and Open Source. And from it, they obtain many benefits for themselves and for third parties (citizens, users, customers).
For this and more, many organizations constantly try to improve IT Management de todo el Free Software and Open Source with which they work or can get to use. And an excellent idea (initiative / project) in that direction is known as «OSPO (Open Source Program Office) ».
ALL: Speak openly Develop openly
Given the, «OSPO (Open Source Program Office) » in english, u «Office of Open Source Programs» en español, is an idea created by the TODO Group (Talk openly Develop openly) in English, or Speak openly Develop openly In Spanish, we recommend after finishing this publication to read the one inserted below so that you know a little more about it:
"The group TODO basically refers to a movement that brings together companies committed to Open Source. Thus, "TODO" can be described as an open group of companies that want to collaborate on practices, tools, and other ways to run successful and effective Open Source projects and programs. In such a way, to take advantage of the Free and Open Source Software developed within their organizations, and its inherent philosophy, principles and freedoms, so that all its members can use each other, contribute and maintain the thousands of projects, both large and small. ." ALL: Speak openly Develop openly
OSPO (Open Source Program Office)
What is the OSPO Project?
According to his official website on GitHub, the project «OSPO» It is described as follows:
"It consists of creating an Office of Open Source Programs within the structure of each organization, in order to be the center of competence for operations and its open source structure. This may include establishing usage, distribution, selection, auditing, and other policies, as well as developer training, ensuring legal compliance, and promoting and creating community engagement that strategically benefits the organization."
Functions of an Office of Open Source Programs
According to Group TODO, the typical features of a Office of Open Source Programs They can be divided into the following three categories:
Legal risk mitigation
All the «OSPO» they often oversee aspects of a company's open source license compliance process. The companies that distribute software tend to be the most concerned about this and start their «OSPO» around the reduction of legal risk. Hence, the responsibilities of a «OSPO» in this area include the following:
- Maintain reviews and monitoring of compliance with open source licenses.
- Run a review process for incoming code usage.
- Ensure that the company contributes to open source projects effectively.
Improvement of Engineers' practices
All the «OSPO» They often enhance the capabilities of engineers by providing guidance and policies on managing code in an open (and mixed) source environment. Companies with many software engineers focus their «OSPO» in engineering policies and practices. Hence, the responsibilities of a «OSPO» in this area include the following:
- Clearly communicate the open source strategy inside and outside the company.
- Foster an open source culture within the organization.
- Ensure frequent and high-quality publication of code in open source communities.
Obtaining financial benefits
Since some companies focus on the financial implications of Open Source, they often take advantage of its «OSPO» to help drive a strategy around the use of commercial versus Open Source providers. While others use their «OSPO» (and open source projects) to drive customers to commercial products. Hence, the responsibilities of a «OSPO» in this area include the following:
- Own and supervise the execution of the strategy.
- Facilitate the effective use of open source in commercial products and services.
- Engage with developer communities to foster the adoption of strategic open source projects.
However, as is logical each Office of Open Source Programs of each organization, it will always end up being configured according to its needs, and based on its business model, products and particular objectives.
For more official information on «OSPO», you can visit the following web addresses: link 1, link 2 y link 3.
Summary
We hope this "useful little post" about «OSPO (Open Source Program Office)», which is an idea (initiative / project) of the TODO Group (Talk openly Develop openly) in favor of creating a free and open IT space within each organization for the management of Free and Open Software in them; is of great interest and utility, for the entire «Comunidad de Software Libre y Código Abierto» and of great contribution to the diffusion of the wonderful, gigantic and growing ecosystem of applications of «GNU/Linux».
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