The MapScaping Podcast - GIS, Geospatial, Remote Sensing, earth observation and digital geography

Strategic Buy-In For FOSS4G

Oct 4, 2023

This podcast explores how to get strategic buy-in for FOSS4G in organizations. It discusses addressing concerns about security and IP protection, perspectives of external and internal stakeholders, collaboration and empathy in decision-making, challenges of implementing open source technology in corporate environments, benefits of open source solutions, and accessibility and support in open source communities.

45:47

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Quick takeaways

Getting buy-in for open-source software requires addressing security concerns and emphasizing cost savings.

External clients prioritize functionality and reliability, regardless of the type of software used.

Deep dives

Getting strategic buy-in for open source geospatial technology

Getting strategic buy-in for open source geospatial technology can be challenging, as it requires convincing internal stakeholders and external clients. When approaching internal stakeholders, it is important to address concerns about security, maintenance, and training. Emphasizing the cost savings of open source solutions can also be persuasive. Building trust and rapport with stakeholders is crucial, as it allows for more effective communication and negotiation. External clients are primarily concerned with getting their problem solved, regardless of whether it is done with open source or closed source software. They prioritize functionality and reliability over the type of software used. While there may be limited documentation for open source software, the community support and availability of developers make it a viable option. Cloud computing further enhances the viability of open source geospatial technology, as there are no licensing fees for each instance. Supporting and contributing to the open source community is essential for its long-term viability. Companies can financially support the community, send developers to sprints, and sponsor conferences. By giving back, companies can help ensure the continued growth and development of phosphor G technology.

Introduction

2min

Exploring Geospatial Background and its Importance in the Insurance Vertical

4min

Understanding the Personal and Professional Significance of FOSS4G

3min

Current State of the Open Source Stack

12min

Perspectives of External and Internal Stakeholders

23min

Contributing to the Open-Source Community and Maintaining Communities

3min

Embracing Open-Source Geospatial Technology is easy as an individual but what if you want your organization to use FOSS4G

How do you get strategic buy-in?

It turns out that the software does not sell itself and that even in the age of AI we still have to convince a human if we want organizational change to to happen.

I think the temptation is to say hey look at this long list of specifications and notice how FOSS4G is often better or equal to the close source equivalent.

Or hey look at the price tag … it costs nothing which is way cheaper than this other thing which costs more than nothing.

While this might be all the argumentation you need in some cases … in general, making change happen is hard, and it's going to require more than that.

That's why I have invited Todd Barr back on the podcast to walk us through what it takes to get an organization to Embrace Open-Source Geospatial Technology.

Here are a few of the key points

Getting buy-in for open-source software and addressing concerns about security and IP protection
Perspectives of External and internal stakeholders on open-source Software
Importance of collaboration, empathy, and understanding in decision-making and stakeholder management
Challenges of implementing open source technology in a corporate environment
Benefits of using open source solutions, such as faster analysis, increased stability, and flexibility for innovation
Accessibility and support in open source communities, including direct interaction with developers and availability of external consultants
Customization and development work required for creating vertical solutions with open-source components
Finding skilled developers and training them in geospatial technology
Cost-saving advantages of open source technology in cloud computing
Leading arguments for implementing open source software: cost savings and freedom to modify and customize
Advocacy for supporting and integrating with the open source community.