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Exploring Open Source Collaborations

Curt Pederson, Oregon State University & Oregon University System

Faced with the need to increase network bandwidth and build a new data center we created an open source lab which in three years has enabled us to meet both needs without having to rely on state dollars. The Open Source Lab (see: http\\osuosl.org)at Oregon State University has helped accelerate the adoption of open source software across the globe and aids the communities that develop and uses it. The OSL`s staff and students provide custom open source software development for projects such as the One Laptop Per Child and hosts and supports some of the world`s best known open source projects, including: the Linux Kernel, Hand Held.org, Debian, Gentoo Linux, Drupal and the Apache web server. OSU`s president saw the OSL as strategic and the type of thing a 21st Century land-grant university should be do to support research, outreach and teaching. In addition to providing open source support for a growing global community, the OSL has worked internally to provide unique opportunities for our students to have real-life open source experience leading to highly paid jobs in the open source community.

Neil Toporski, Rowan University
Mike Ciocco, Rowan University

After investigating several commercially viable synchronous Web collaboration products, Rowan University decided to invest in building a comparable product rather than investing in the expense and propriety of a commercial product. We concluded that technologies existed to build an in-house cross OS product that offers similar commercial features. Rowan has begun Beta Testing RVM both on and off campus. This presentation will discuss the design, development, and implementation of the RVM system – and how it will be used synergistically with asynchronous applications such as WebCT and Blackboard to provide a more interactive, blended online experience for students.