Interaction and influences in an Open-Source eco system

Abstract: The development of open source software has gone from a model characterized by skilled software developers that developed open source software for their own interest and their own needs to a model that is more business friendly and more attractive for companies and organizations. One new business model for open source software is the professional open source software model or OSS 2.0. The business model includes three roles: the open source project, the professional open source company and the user. This dissertation studies the relationship between these three roles and focuses on the development of the user role and how it may develop for a new user in a specific OSS ecosystem. The roles in the eco system that has been studied are taken by the open source project Alfresco, the professional open source company Redpill and a user from a large international company, without any previous experience of open source software or the business model of professional open source. The result of the study showed a well developed eco system between the open source project and the professional open source company but a need of more information about the user’s role in it. Open source software is still seen by the user as an unsafe and unsecure alternative to the proprietary software available and more information about the business model of professional open source software and how the user can interact and influence the eco system is still needed.