The Open Source Model

So while we’re talking about enterprise architectures, we should discuss the emerging role of open source technologies. By now you can see that I am a big believer in innovation as the pillar of 21st century competitive advantage. I’m an even bigger believer in collaboration as the stimulus for better and faster innovation. You need look no further than the open source example to see why I’m so convinced that the enterprise will both incorporate open source in their architectures and mimic its model. Open Source taught us that communities can apply more collective intelligence to any task. It’s this dynamic that makes the model so compelling. Why limit innovation to traditional processes and inputs? The expansion of these processes to include the community – much like the evolution of open source – is inevitable. The peer-to-peer nature of web 2.0 and its ability to quickly connect us to one another, represents a significant enabler to this process expansion. As Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO of Google, said recently: "The cost of innovation has never been lower". This should usher in a new era of entrepreneurship. Collaborate, gather intelligence and innovate!