IBM Turns to Open Source Development

mmmbop writes "'Is open source changing the way that software is made? It is at IBM. BetaNews sat down with Doug Heintzman, IBM Software Group's VP of Strategy and Technology, to discuss the adoption of a hybrid development model called Community Source that combines the best elements of the open source model with decades of IBM programming practice - avoiding a top down approach that IBM says could make Microsoft's Longhorn obsolete upon arrival.' A long read, but well worth it."

Comments

IBM: good for open source

[Sheetrock]

I've worked with IBM products for a long time, and I think of all the computer companies their adoption of open source techniques for software development surprises me least.

Traditionally IBM's methodologies have been very close to (and predate) that of open source, which derived much of its culture and programming mindset from that of IBM or Bell Labs. Their documentation as compared to other hardware/software developers has always encouraged the user to learn about and extend the environment in which they work rather than supporting only a superficial "click here, then there" mentality.

IBM has always been good for open source. It makes sense that open source can be good for IBM as well.

From what I see...

[guardiangod]

Basically IBM has a big project that needs to be done.
They break it down into components, and delegate these components into their labs around the world.
Now here is the smart part- Instead of hiring REAL (as in doing it for a living) programmers in their centres to do program, they get OS community to do them instead.

After a year, IBM collects all the parts together, assemble them, trim and fit them until they work right.


PROFIT!!!


Not much cost- they are genius.

Re:From what I see...

[Jherek Carnelian]

In fact, he seems to refer to it in terms of open-sourcing the codebase within the company, rather than open-sourcing to everyone. I have read somewhere around here that the same kind of thing goes on at Google.

My first job out of college was at a small unix computer manufacturer and all of their source code - os, tools and apps - were easily accessible to anyone in the company with a workstation.

Then I went to work for HP and could not believe that the support guys had zero access to the source code - only the engineers in the development labs did. It sure made my job harder so I quit. Since then I've learned that HP was the norm and my first job (and all the Free software I worked on during college, we didn't have no stinkin' "open source" back then) was the aberration.

It is good to see the industry starting to finally get sensible. Now all they have to do is diving in completely and make the source available to anyone, not just inside IBM.

They could show their true dedication ...

[CyricZ]

They could show their true dedication to open source by releasing the code behind OS/2 and AiX. While it will of course take time, effort and money on the part of both developers and lawyers, it would be an excellent show of good-faith towards the open source community. After all, if Sun can do it with Solaris, then IBM can surely do it with AiX and OS/2.

Re:Seriously buzzword compliant

[MrAnnoyanceToYou]

Heh. Isn't IBM just practicing to become a fully consultant-based company there? That seems to be their plan:
1. make the best software in the world using whatever tools are at hand
2. open source it, (automatic, considering how 1 would have to be done)
3. and support it. (of course, this is where 'profit' would normally go, but yeeah.)

Looks like a better plan to me than other stuff.

Just thought I'd summarize, 'cause you didn't read the whole article. :P

Somewhat busted already...

[Dink Paisy]

From the article: "I think that managed code is a way of referring to a structured component and we've got a number of names for them ourselves."

Aside from the interviewer not knowing what "managed code" is, I think that sums up a lot of IBM's difficulty. Everyone else does something simple, IBM does something complicated. Later in the article, Heintzman compares the Windows codebase with Lotus Notes. From the leaked source code, though, we know that the Windows codebase is very clean for its size. Complex and messy code affects every large piece of software, but Microsoft seems to have managed at least moderately well, perhaps unlike IBM.

I hope documentation catches on

[Christian Engstrom]

Their documentation as compared to other hardware/software developers has always encouraged the user to learn about and extend the environment in which they work rather than supporting only a superficial "click here, then there" mentality.

Digital Equipment's documentation for the OpenVMS system was also very good. For each major subject they had both a reference manual that listed things in alphabetical order, and a tutorial that gave you an introduction and explained the underlying concepts.

And there was lots of it: the documentation for OpenVMS was at least 10 or 15 feet in the bookshelf. Absolutely great.

It is mentioned in the article that IBM hopes that they will be able to make a contribution back by introducing some of their techniques and practices into the Open Source world. If there is one area where I really hope they succeed, it is if they were to inspire people to spend more time on documentation.

After all, what good is a program that does exactly what you want, if you can't find out that it exists and how it works by surfing the net? If I have to download and unpack something just to see if there happens to be some more or less cryptic files that I can read to see if it was worth downloading and unpacking, the chances are very slim that I'm gonna bother. And I think many people are like me in this respect.

Re:Seriously buzzword compliant

[timothy_m_smith]

IBM's approach is to sell you the whole thing: servers, software, and services. They'll give you a good price on one to make a profit on the others. Open Source might be a piece of the software, but rarely is it the whole thing. WebSphere, Notes/Domino, DB2 and MQSeries all generate good money for IBM. Don't confuse IBM w/Red Hat or a services-only company b/c they're not.

When companies start an outsourcing deal w/IBM, IBM comes in and replaces all the hardware, and migrates as much of the software to their stuff that they can.

IBM - one corporation worth respect..

[Halvy]

I dunno why, but IBM has ALWAYS been a company that I didn't see as a monopoly, or threat to culture, like m$.

Remember they wouldn't crack or cowtale to gates on OS/2 (thank God!). Even though everyone suffered because of m$ since, I respect Big Blue for 'doing-the-right-thing' in not being part of the crimes of m$.

IBM along with Apple and the Lotus Corporation (remember 123?! :) actaully preddy much single handley got the word out about how wonderful computers would be in everyones hands.

It is therefore safe to say that we could have done without m$ crap, and infact the world would have excelled (scuse the pun) without it, instead of still waiting for LOOOOOOOOONNNNG Horned.

Ahhh, the good'ol days of Charlie Chaplin (remember the commercials from IBM?!) http://wso.williams.edu/~dgerstei/chaplin/myscans/ ibmcharlie.gif (sorry, it was all I could find quickly :( ..the wonderful MacinTosh Desktop, and what is considered the main reason people started buying pc's in droves initially..*Lotus 123* SpreadSheet/Calc program!!

I remember the true stories of peopel not even knowing that they actully needed a pc to run the program, they just went into the old ComputerLand stores and demanded a spanking-brand-new: *Lotus 123*!

I remember living in Boca Raton FL during that glorious error.. and walking through one of IBM's factories there.. they were (and i'm not exagurating) nearly a mile long.. filled to the hilt with ROBOTS that were building the PC's!! It waz amazing..

Soooo, Ibm has had to re-invent itself many times before...and that is ok, cuz that is what people (corps) do in order to stay in business.

And now.. the OSS Communities get to not only benefit from this **Classy Company**... but get to contribute and be a part of it.. in defeating the evil dragoon.. :)