Ask the CIO
Every month, we feature a question in our newsletter asked by you and answered by our CIO, Sastry Taruvai.
Do you have a question for our CIO? Send an email to askcio@bluenog.com and you just may be featured in our upcoming newsletter!
Questions will be selected at random to win a $25 Gift Card.
Monthly questions and answers will be posted here.
August 2009
Q: How can Twitter be used within an enterprise?
A: Many companies are using Twitter as part of their corporate communications strategy, much like the use of corporate blogs. They 'tweet' about corporate accomplishments, distributing links to press releases or promotional web sites.
July 2009
Q: I would like to utilize Web 2.0 technologies to encourage greater collaboration between our sales, marketing and development teams. Do you have any suggestions?
A: Web 2.0 technology driven applications such as social-networking, wikis and team sites, offer much promise within enterprises today. The opportunity for distributed teams to work effectively together on project initiatives has become a reality with the continuing evolution of these technologies and frameworks. However on a cautionary note, be watchful for unchecked proliferation of these products, for example stand-alone wikis, in the organization. Uncontrolled deployment of standalone collaboration tools can undercut the value of the tools themselves. If users are forced to track URLs and credentials to multiple wikis then adoption becomes limited and effective sharing restricted.
A more effective approach is to consider collaboration platforms and frameworks that can bring the benefits of Web 2.0 into centrally managed environments. A social networking portal that users can visit to access wikis, blogs and project sites all under the same security framework eases both administration effort and enhances end user
experience. Unified frameworks also permit the centralized storage and retrieval of content across sites which makes it easier for users to both contribute content and to locate critical information.
June 2009
Q: What is the fundamental difference between JetSpeed2 and Liferay?
A: JetSpeed2 is an Apache project which ensures that project communities are balanced and not completely controlled by a single commercial entity. As a result, JetSpeed2 can never be bought. This is a critical difference to Liferay which is completely built, supported and enhanced by one single entity.
May 2009
Q: What is AGPL?
A: Affero General Public License (AGPL) is specifically meant to address a loophole in the GPL license where an Application Service Provider can make changes to a GPL based source code, and not contribute it back to the community because the “copyleft” provisions are not triggered.
April 2009
Q: What are the changes to compliance in GPL Version 3 (GPLv3)?
A: There is one significant change with compliance in GPLv3. GPLv3 now offers a reprieve for good behavior: If you violate the license, you can get your rights back once you stop the violation, unless a copyright holder contacts you within 60 days. With GPLv2, if you violated the license in any way, your rights were permanently lost.
March 2009
Q: What is a Microsoft Public License (Ms-PL)?
A: This is the least restrictive license from Microsoft that allows for re-distribution of source code. Ms-PL has been approved by the Open Source Initiative (OSI) as an open source license.
February 2009
Q: What is a dual-licensing model in open source software?
A: A dual-licensing model is a means by which a software vendor can offer their product under two different licenses: An open source version often called a “community edition” allows users access to the source code under an open source license, usually GPL. The community edition is typically not supported. The other license is a non-open source license where customers get all the benefits of a commercial software product, such as support and proprietary enhancements.
January 2009
Q: How prevalent will Open Source become by 2010?
A: According to Gartner, over 80 percent of all enterprises will be using open source by 2010.
December 2008 - Submitted by Jack Quigley of Avaya
Q: What is Oracle's roadmap for WLI and what is the time horizon that Oracle plans on supporting existing WLI applications?
A: WLI is slotted under the “Continue and Converge” category. Oracle will continue to support WLI for the next five years. Oracle envisions that WLI will eventually be merged into the BPEL Process Manager product which currently ships as part of Oracle SOA suite.
November 2008
Q: What are the different licensing models that govern the open source?
A: The prominent players are GPL, LGPL, Apache, MIT, Eclipse.
GPL,LGPL - Source code is “open” forever. This means, any additions that enhancements the users/organizations make must be opens sourced.
Apache, MIT, Eclipse - Source code “open” with freedom to “close”. This means custom extensions need not be open sourced.
October 2008
Q: What is the new name for AquaLogic Data Services Platform (ALDSP) in the Oracle world?
A: Oracle Data Services Integration (ODSI)
September 2008
Q: What is Oracle doing with AquaLogic Data Services Platform (ALDSP)?
A: It is now been bucketed into the “Continue and Converge” category. This means for the next few years, Oracle will continue to support and make enhancements to the product.
August 2008
Q: Has Oracle removed the 5 IP restriction placed by BEA when you download Weblogic products for evaluation?
A: Yes! Effective immediately.