The economics of open innovation

Abstract

SAP may not be known for its value-driven, sophisticated approach towards open source, but that perception has started to change. Like most independent software companies, SAP is following a hybrid, mixed source approach that combines open source with ‘shared source’ and closed source. SAP's next generation Java platform, for example, leverages many open source components from Eclipse, Apache and others. Consequently, SAP is actively contributing to a growing number of projects. Despite the many benefits of open source though, using open source and open source principles as part of a product strategy is no trivial matter. It comes with many challenges. This session will provide an overview of the economic benefits open source software delivers from an independent software vendor perspective. A number of examples outline how SAP's approach towards open source has evolved from managing open source as a risk to becoming the third-largest corporate code contributor to the Eclipse Foundation - and what you can expect in the future.