Open Source Meets Business 2008

Abstract

The open source software / proprietary software dichotomy no longer describes the heterogeneous IT landscape. Consumers of software and producers of software alike are taking advantage of the "world of choice" available to them. They are making individual choices based on the value and opportunity open, mixed, and closed source development methods, license terms, and business models offer to them.

Microsoft is committed to offering the most opportunity for its customers and partners to succeed in the modern IT landscape. This includes a rich combination of organic, community-driven opportunities to create and learn, as well as directed programs to encourage IT education, local IT job creation and local IT business development.

Biographie: Sam Ramji

Sam directs the Open Source Software Lab at Microsoft doing primary research on various open source projects, and driving interoperability between Microsoft and key open source technologies. He leads Open Source Technology Strategy, including engaging with commercial Open Source companies like Novell, JBoss, Zend and SugarCRM, to help Microsoft advance our support for and understanding of the open source development, community, and marketing models.

Sam has led engineering teams building large-scale applications on Open Source software (at Ofoto.com) as well as hands-on development of client, client-server, and distributed applications on Unix, Windows, and Macintosh. Prior to his current role at Microsoft, Sam was a Director of Emerging Business working on the Silicon Valley Campus where he managed relationships with Venture Capitalists and entrepreneurs. Sam has held management and strategy positions at BEA Systems and Ofoto.com and has worked with Fortune 500 CTOs and architects.

Sam holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Cognitive Science from the University of California at San Diego.