Open Source Think Tank 2014 to Explore Open Source and the Internet of Things

BURLINGTON, Mass., Feb. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Duck Software, the trusted partner for open source software (OSS) adoption, management, and governance, today announced the ninth annual Open Source Think Tank 2014 conference will be held at the Solage Calistoga Resort March 24-26, 2014.

The conference is built around the theme "Open Source – Engine of Innovation" and will feature group discussions, interactive sessions and case studies. The Internet of Things (IoT) will be a major focus, with an in-depth case study about the challenges of preserving openness in IoT technology while facilitating new and existing business models that benefit society, businesses, and consumers. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to discuss which licensing models best support the development and growth of IoT technologies, the role of collaboration and meritocracy in the evolution of IoT, and which open source technologies will support the IoT stack and ecosystem.

"IoT stakeholders span industries and cross international boundaries, encompassing a 'super community' of end-users and participants from the public and private sectors," said Andrew Aitken, Managing Director, Black Duck Consulting and Think Tank Founder. "Because IoT represents a huge business opportunity, commercial entities are already attempting to shape its evolution. Think Tank attendees will have the rare opportunity to identify ways to preserve and enhance the openness of IoT technology and its supporting ecosystem while still in its formative stage."

This year, Think Tank is also collaborating with the Community Leadership Summit, creating the conference's first Community Leadership Track. The day-long event, scheduled for March 24 and sponsored by SourceForge, is tailored to the needs of executives involved in open source community management, development, and planning. Led by Jono Bacon, founder of the annual Community Leadership Summit and Ubuntu Community Manager for Canonical, the track will include an interactive case study and best practices for defining, managing, and delivering effective community management and relations.

Black Duck will build upon the conference's momentum and extend the conversation with the addition of six Think Tank Dinners throughout the year and across the globe in San Francisco, London, Tokyo, New York, Seoul, and Paris.

"By bringing together industry thought leaders at such a unique, interactive, dynamic event, Open Source Think Tank consistently provides the best insight into the intersection of open source and business," said Mark Radcliffe, Partner, DLA Piper, and Open Source Think Tank Cohost. "This year's conference will be particularly important, helping to shape how the Internet of Things and its implementation through open source will impact businesses, developers and open source communities, and, more broadly, citizens of the world. In addition to the IoT, we also will focus on the role of open source in innovation."

Think Tank attendees include CEOs, CIOs, CTOs, legal experts, investors and senior executives. The exclusive, invitation-only event brings industry leaders together to discuss the current state and future direction of commercial open source.

More Information
For additional information about Open Source Think Tank, or to apply for an invitation, visit www.osthinktank.com.  

For more information about Black Duck, visit www.blackducksoftware.com.

SOURCE Black Duck Software