Presentation at the INSPIRE Workshop "Concrete steps to implement INSPIRE: synergies between the public and the private sector" - Florence, 24th June 2013

1. GeoSolutions,
Looking at INSPIRE from an Open Source obsessed SME
Ing. Simone Giannecchini, GeoSolutions

2. GeoSolutions
 Founded in Italy in late 2006
 Expertise
• Image Processing, GeoSpatial Data Fusion
• Java, Java Enterprise, C++, Python
• JPEG2000, JPIP, Advanced 2D visualization
 Supporting/Developing FOSS4G projects
 GeoTools, GeoServer, MapStore
 GeoBatch, GeoNetwork, ImageIO-Ext
 Clients
 Large NGOs, Public Administrations
 Private Companies
 Good balance between Italian and International Clients
 http://www.geo-solutions.it

3. Reference Architecture
GeoWebCacheGeoServer
GeoBatch
GeoNetwork
MapStore
Ingest & Preprocess
Metadata Maps & Data Tiles & KML
Mashups
Data & Styles WMS
Metadata

4. Open Source
 Crucial for EU
 Proprietary Software is mainly built outside EU
 Let’s not give up on our best brains!
 Grow knowledge here, now!
 Push for innovation
 Openness foster collaboration
 Openness foster innovation
 Open Source for Dummies
 Select products carefully, engage the community
 Give back  avoid Vampires & Vendor Lock-in
 Account for Professional Support  no paying no gain!
 Open Source != Free
 Plan for the features you need not how many licenses
you need!

5. INSPIRE
 Top-down process
 Works by imposition
 Complexity
 We probably need shorter and simpler guidelines!
 Adapting to INSPIRE is expensive
 Existing products
 Existing infrastructure
 Existing data repositories
 Real world moves faster than
standardization bodies
 Open Data & Open Source provides momentum,
let’s use it!

6. Issues & Blockers
 Wrong approaches to Open Source
 Lack of real R&D funding for SME
 Competition from Universities & Foundations
 Unclear rules for creating SME networks
 Somewhat high standards for bids participation
 INSPIRE Complexity
 Lack of Knowledge around
INSPIRE at operational
level

7. Conclusions
 We work for people
 People ask for more data & services
 Complexity generate confusion
 Confusion generate failures
 Innovation
 development of new values
 solutions that meet new requirements
 inarticulate needs
 old market needs in new ways
 Open Source & Open Data are fostering innovation
 INSPIRE does generate business, but could do
better about innovation