Open Source Gets Bigger CeBIT Spotlight

The strong growth of open source in IT will be demonstrated with its prominent placement at the world’s largest computer event, CeBIT 2010.

That’s the news coming out of Hannover, Germany the permanent home for the CeBIT show, where the CeBIT Open Source 2010 event will be taking center stage at one of the largest expo halls according to show organizers Deutsche Messe. According to Britta W√ºlfing, CeBIT Event Manager, the shift of the Open Source exhibition to the more prominent Hall 2 is a direct response to the huge popularity this segment of the show enjoyed in 2009.

“Nearly 47,000 attendees chose open source as a subject they were interested in,” W√ºlfing said in an interview. Given numbers like that–for a segment of the CeBIT show that was brand-new in 2009–it’s little wonder that Deutsche Messe and partner Linux Pro Magazine are touting the recent Call for Projects for CeBIT Open Source 2010.

W√ºlfing indicated that the trade show’s organizers, having fully grasped the popularity of open source, are now putting even more of a spotlight on the topic by giving the topic a home in what W√ºlfing describes as a much better venue. “It’s wonderful they saw the big success in 2009,” she said.

The Call for Projects will give 15 projects even more of a spotlight within the CeBIT Open Source event. Selected non-commercial projects will be given free exhibit space and a 20-minute presentation spot in one of the show’s Hour for Projects. These presentations will not only be offered for show attendees, but they will also be broadcast via a live stream to any one on the Internet who wants to watch the event.

Wülfing explained that she and the show organizers are looking for projects that are innovative and doing something new in open source. Ideally, these projects, while they are non-commercial themselves, should be producing something that benefits business.

After all projects are gathered, a jury will determine which 15 projects will get the nod to take advantage of the opportunity to get in front of thousands of people live and far more than that over the Internet.

Some projects, such as OpenOffice.org, even though they are non-commercial, chose to purchase floor space on their own last year, given their financial backing from sponsor Sun Microsystems, Wülfing added. This means that smaller projects that might otherwise be daunted by competition from larger organizations, will have more of a chance when applying for one of the coveted spots.

The “Call for Projects” will close this Friday, November 20, so interested groups shouldn’t delay. Application forms are available at Linux Pro Magazine.