Open For Business

Open for Business is a programme of introductory briefings and in-depth workshops run by London Westside exploring the economic and social potential of Open Source technology and associated methodologies for business, innovation and cultural creativity.

Open Source Software is the most exciting and fastest growing market for new media products and services, where innovation, evaluation, distribution are driven by the needs and abilities of an active, highly skilled and community of software craftspeople.

Briefly, Open Source Software works by the principle of shared co- development. I make some software and give it - and crucially - the source code (the stuff that enables you to adapt and improve it for your needs) to you, on the legal basis that you do the same with any improvements you make to it. Using contracts such as the 'GNU General Public License' to copyright their work, Open Source Software developers create a common pool of 'public' source code from which they can more easily build, evaluate, update and modify their customised software systems.

As the technologies of scalable collaboration and networking become more widespread, the opportunity is there to bring new approaches to many areas of cultural, creative and business development.

The Open for Business briefings introduce creative initiatives that are pioneering in this opportunity space, challenging the status-quo of how business is done. Attendees to these evening events will have the chance to catch up on the leaders in this emerging field, and discuss their own ideas and projects in open surgery sessions, followed by informal networking and socialising.

The Open for Business workshops are two-day in-depth training sessions during which participants will gain a high level of proficiency with an Open Source system that will enable them to apply it to their own work, businesses, or creative projects.