Objectives and key factors

According to Matra Datavision, the objectives they were pursuing when they decided to go open source are:

• To create a real differentiating factor through publication of the source code.
• To impose Open CASCADE as a de facto standard, by extending its user-base.
• To focus on standardization and services, and not on software publishing.

To fulfill these objectives, they also identified some (in their opinion) key factors, necessary in order to succeed in the open source market:

• Seduce a community of developers. An international team of interested developers is needed to ensure the development of the product. The `release often and release early' rule has to be followed, so that external developers are rewarded when their work is included in the official version.

• Master the project management and communication tools. Setup rules (for instance, stating that no code will be included in the official version if not properly documented) have to be specified, and make sure that they are well accepted by the contributing community. It is a good idea to select good tools to manage development, bug reports etc.

• Select the right type of licence. It is important that it is recognized by the community as an open source licence, while in accordance with the strategy of the company. Make sure that applications developed for specific customers are not falling under that licence and can remain proprietary, in case this matters.

• Strongly communicate and capitalize on brand image The web site has to be the obvious reference for anyone interested in participating in the project, buying the product or services, etc.

• Develop an appealing services portfolio, including training packages, support, consulting services, etc.