Open Cloud Initiative launches. HP joins OpenStack. Oracle releases Java 7. And more.

The annual OSCON conference is and should be about open source, but some different conversations, companies and of course new code all make the show a good milepost to check what is driving open source, what the current debates are, who is winning criticism and praise and what is making open source matter most in [...]

The 451 Group’s CAOS practice last week published its latest long format report: Going Open, Going Closed. The report is the latest in a series from the 451 CAOS practice examining the impact of open source on business strategies. As previously indicated, it takes a look at a number of vendors that have successfully ‘gone [...]

I wrote last year about the way Google’s Android mobile operating system was serving as a more open alternative to Apple’s iOS, but not so open that it didn’t leave opportunity for an even more open alternative. Given that we continue to see software patent-based attacks on Android, as well as swirling FUD around coverage [...]

CloudBees raises $10.5m. Microsoft commits $100m to SUSE. And more.

Acquia raises $15m. Eclipse launches automotive project. And more.

One of the common myths about open source software is that it is developed by communities of individuals. It is a myth that continues to propagate despite multiple sources of data that show the depth and breadth of corporate contributions to open source software. Communities come in many shapes and sizes, however, and corporate-dominated projects [...]

IBM offers Symphony to Apache OpenOffice. Jaspersoft raises $11m. And more.

Venture capital funding for open source software-related vendors declined 32% in the first quarter. According to our preliminary figures, OSS-related vendors raised $96.9m in Q2, compared to $141.5m a year ago. There were 15 deals in the quarter, 14 with a disclosed deal size, resulting in an average deal size of $6.9m. That compared with [...]

Citrix acquires Cloud.com. Funding for Piston and Zettaset. And more.

I’ve been tracking the Top500 Supercomputer List with a particular eye on Linux for some time now, highlighting how Linux continues to power the majority of the world’s fastest supercomputing systems. So it’s no surprise to see continued dominance for Linux, but there are some interesting changes every six months when the new fastest supercomputer [...]

Topics for this podcast: *Numerous vendors pursuing PaaS *Update on MongoDB vendor 10gen *Structure Conference and Future of Cloud Survey *LexisNexis open sources its platform amid Hadoop *Decline of differentiation from open source *Open source shows staying power in cloud, mobile iTunes or direct download (30:01, 5.1MB)

Harmony disharmony. Microsoft’s Android revenue. And more.

We’ve been writing ourselves about the move toward more permissive licensing in commercial open source, as well as a lessening of the use of ‘open source’ as an identifier or differentiator. We’ve also seen others comment on a perceived loss of significance and importance of free and open source software and open standards. Combine this [...]

A herd of Hadoop announcements. Rockmelt raises $30m. And more.