Managers, start your FOSS engines!

FOSS solutions play a key role in solving problems and filling the gaps where you COTS or closed-source solutions might fall short. In addition, it is important for managers to understand that many COTS solutions used in their organizations might already have a mix of FOSS frameworks supporting a COTS implementation – think various Apache or Python projects to name a few. Having knowledge of and understanding open data and open source software frameworks can have many benefits in solving your customer’s problems and creating real solutions and workflows that improve their bottom line. In our industry, Geospatial FOSS solutions are more times than not built on significant private and not-for-profit industry-supported efforts that have a long and successful history, level-of-support and following. As a Geospatial program manager - putting forth the effort to educate your organization’s senior leadership and encouraging your team to learn about and effectively integrate FOSS to complement your already-in-place COTS solutions can lay the groundwork for expanding options for your customers, rather than limiting them. Examples in a collaborative regional/local government and private-sector partner setting will be highlighted.