Free software ecosystem in geoinformatics Draºen Odoba²i *, Damir Medak*, Bo²ko Pribi evi ** Chair of Geoinformation Science * Chair of Hydrography ** Faculty of Geodesy, University of Zagreb Ka i eva 26, Zagreb Opatija, 26.11.2010 2nd Croatian NSDI and INSPIRE Day, 6th Conference Cartography and Geoinformation
Ecosystem Denition An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving, physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water, and sunlight.
Ecosystem services provisioning such as the production of food and water regulating such as the control of climate and disease supporting such as nutrient cycles and crop pollination cultural such as spiritual and recreational benets
Software ecosystem
Software ecosystem
Software ecosystem
Software ecosystem
Software Denition (Open source software) is a software which is licensed in a way that it can be used, studied, and modied without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modied or unmodied form. Denition (Privative software) is a software licensed under exclusive legal right of its owner. The purchaser, or licensee, is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, but restricted from other uses, such as modication, further distribution, or reverse engineering.
Software ecosystems Denition (Open ecosystem) is a heterogenous ecosystem with a large number of diverse softwares which use open and standarized protocols for communication and data exchange. Denition (Privative ecosystem) in a homogeneous ecosystem built around unique software by unique supplier using closed formats and protocols for communication and data exchange
Software life cycle Open ecosytem Privative ecosystem
Software life cycle Open ecosytem Privative ecosystem
Free software in geoinformatics Categorization: Application software System software Computer programming tools Information about software: licence (GPL, BSD, APL,... ) platform (Linux, Windows, platform agnostic,... ) software environment (C/C++, Java, Python,.Net,... ) compliance (which standards are implemented)
Free software in geoinformatics GDAL Geospatial Data Abstraction Library OGR Simple Feature Library PROJ.4 Cartographic Projections Library JTS Java Topology Suite GEOS Geometry Engine - Open Source CGAL Computational Geometry Algorithms Library GeoTools The Open Source Java GIS Toolkit FDO Feature Data Objects
Free software in geoinformatics PostGIS Spatialite (Rasterlite) Geoserver Mapserver MapGuide Open Source Mapnik SharpMap
Free software in geoinformatics TileCache MapProxy Deegree Openlayers Mapsh Openscales
Free software in geoinformatics GRASS GIS QGIS gvsig udig ILWIS
Basic free software misconceptions no one uses free software there is no support free software is developed by non-professionals it's not compatible
Basic free software misconceptions no one uses free software INTERNET there is no support community and commercial support by more then one company free software is developed by non-professionals most free software development is paid by companies it's not compatible closed formats are CLOSED! (reverse engineering)
Examples Norway National WMS service http://www.statkart.no/norge_digitalt/engelsk/about_norway_digital/ EU Commission Inspire Geoportal http://www.inspire-geoportal.eu/index.cfm/pageid/341 Finland - National geoportal http://www.paikkatietoikkuna.fi/web/en/ UK - Ordnance Survey - OnDemand service...
Conclusion Open ecosystem is more resilient and evolves faster. Open formats and standards are safest investment for the future. Investments in free software are investments in local businesses and economy. Easier and faster knowledge transfer. No accumulating licence fees. World it's not black and white, but in shades of gray.