We’ve just released our latest CAOS report, GPLv3-Liberation or limitation?, which covers the changes and implications of the new version of the GNU General Public License. The report covers the incentives – such as greater compatibility and collaboration potential – for some open source software developers, projects and vendors to adopt the new license. It [...]

Sun acquires innotek (VirtualBox). The 451 Group publishes report on GPLv3 impact. Alfresco releases open source survey results. (and more)

Click to view today’s 451 CAOS Links.

Having been prompted by Computerworld to return to thoughts of open source adoption in the UK, I have been pondering why open source has not been more widely adopted in the UK and what can be done about it. While re-reading a Guardian article from September last year (“all of which makes it scandalous that [...]

SugarCRM obtains $20m in additional funding. OpenID Foundation expands to include Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, and Verisign. Zimbra releases new version. (and more)

Click to view today’s 451 CAOS Links.

Those familiar with the OpenDocument Format (ODF) and the ongoing grappling with Microsoft’s OOXML and interoperability might think this blog is about how governments around the world are among those embracing ODF. This embrace, by organizations that typically have existing and legacy formats beholden to Microsoft, is happening, but this post is more about what [...]

Or at least the Open Source Definition is (tomorrow). February 9 marks the ten-year anniversary of its publication by Bruce Perens, and to mark the occasion the man himself has published a State of Open Source Message including his thoughts on the progress made during “decade zero” and the challenges that lie ahead. It goes [...]

When Citrix announced its acquisition of XenSource in August 2007, 451 CAOS Theory argued that the huge multiple being paid had little or nothing to do with open source. “While this is exciting news for the XenSource founders, I don’t think the open source vendor community should get caught up in this excitement. It wasn’t [...]

I’m in Napa, CA, through Saturday for the 2008 Open Source Think Tank (OSTT), hosted by the Olliance Group and DLA Piper. This is my second year at the event. I’ll be spending the next few days with some exceptional people in the open source business community, tackling issues such as commercial open source business [...]

It’s good to see MySQL’s CEO, Marten Mickos, explaining his reasons for abandoning the company’s IPO in favor of being acquired by Sun. What made him and the open source database company’s top brass change their minds (apart from $1bn)? Mickos lists ten factors that convinced him that Sun was the better option: “1. Jonathan [...]

It’s good to see I’m not the only person concerned about Zimbra’s future in a world where Microsoft owns Yahoo. In fact, the open source collaboration firm offered a timely reminder that it is part of the Yahoo empire with version 5.0 of its Collaboration Suite, prompting many more people to wonder about the project’s [...]

LiMo rolls out mobile Linux platform. PostgreSQL releases new version. Olliance Group launches open source M&A consulting practice. (and more)

Click to view today’s 451 CAOS Links.

Matt Asay asks why Asia doesn’t contribute more to open source. It’s an interesting question, and the responses are equally interesting. There are a few in the comments to Matt’s piece, for example, pointing out Asia’s contribution to projects such as Ruby on Rails, not to mention Andrew Tridgell’s crucial involvement in the Samba project. [...]

It used to be there were only a couple of players in town who combed through software code, specifically looking for open source packages and licenses: Black Duck and Palamida. A year ago, we figured there was plenty of room for additional players, but we had no idea how many companies would end up coming [...]

Or indeed, wither Zimbra? Microsoft has officially launched its acquisition bid for Yahoo for $31 per share, valuing the company at $44.6bn (you can read the offer letter here). It’s a sign of my open source-focused view of the world (and the fact that I was using the software at the time I heard the [...]