Ravi Sen

Determinants of open source software project success: A longitudinal study

In this paper, we investigate open source software (OSS) success using longitudinal data on OSS projects. We find that restrictive OSS licenses have an adverse impact on OSS success. On further analysis, restrictive OSS license is found to be negatively associated with developer interest, but is positively associated with the interest of non-developer users and project administrators. We also show that developer and non-developer interest in the OSS project and the project activity levels in any time period significantly affect the project success measures in subsequent time period. The implications of our findings for OSS research and practice are discussed.

Optimal Search Engine Marketing Strategy

Buyers using search engines to look for information tend to trust and follow links displayed in the editorial section of the search-results page. Most on-line sellers, however, do not invest in search engine optimization (SEO) to get higher search-results rankings for their listings, but instead prefer paid placements. They explain that SEO is more expensive than paid placements, produces results that do not justify its cost, and does not consistently lead to high search-results rankings. This implies that sellers would invest in SEO if it were less expensive and its rankings were more consistent. However, even if SEO and paid placement cost the same, and SEO always produced high rankings, paid placement would still be the search engine marketing (SEM) strategy of choice for most on-line sellers. Interestingly, no optimal SEM strategy includes SEO. These findings are especially significant for advertising professionals who have to justify investing in paid placements despite overwhelming evidence that buyers ignore them and follow links in the editorial section of the search-results page.

A Strategic Analysis of Competition Between Open Source and Proprietary Software

This paper analyzes a software market consisting of a freely available open source software (OSS), the commercial version of this OSS (OSS-SS), and the competing commercial proprietary software (PS). We find that in software markets characterized by low direct network benefits, the PS vendor is better off in the presence of competition from OSS-SS. Furthermore, the OSS-SS vendor in these markets is better off by having lower usability than PS. Therefore, the PS vendor has little incentive to improve the usability of their software in these markets. On the other hand, in software markets characterized by high network benefits, a PS vendor is threatened by the presence of OSS-SS and can survive only if the PS is more usable than the competing OSS-SS.

A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE ROLE OF USERS, VENDORS, AND GOVERNMENTS IN THE STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Existing literature on IT standards focuses on the role of technical factors such as network effects and competitive behavior on the creation of standards. However, the role of users and vendors in initiating the standards definition and ratification process is less well understood. Given the advantages associated with standards, all users and vendors of IT products would be expected to be glad to participate in the standards definition and ratification process. However, if that were the case, many fewer proprietary technologies would compete. This paper explains qualitatively why users, vendors, and government bodies choose (or don’t choose) to participate in the standards definition and ratification process. A better understanding of their motivations for participating or not in the process should help to attract more participants to the process. The paper concludes by analyzing strategies to recover the cost of standards definition and ratification process, and their impact on the standards adoption rate.

Open source software success: Measures and analysis

Despite a growing body of research on OSS production, much remains to be learned. One important issue concerns the measures of OSS project success and its determinants. In this paper, we empirically study the determinants of OSS success as measured by the number of subscribers and developers working on an OSS project. Furthermore, we demonstrate that our model forecasts these success measures more accurately as compared to a naive model. We find that OSS projects that develop software to work on Windows/UNIX/Linux operating systems, and developed using C or its derivative languages experience larger increase in subscribers and attract more developers than projects that do not have these characteristics. OSS projects with semi-restrictive licenses have fewer subscribers and attract fewer developers. Interestingly, OSS projects that accept financial donations and are targeted at IS/IT professionals have more subscribers than others, although these characteristics do not affect the developer base. The number of subscribers and developers increases with the age of the OSS project. Finally, the impact of developers on subscribers and subscribers on developers is positive and significant.

Transitioning to a business rule management service model: Case studies from the property and casualty insurance industry

As the volume, sources and types of business rules continue to grow, so do the needs of organizations to accurately, consistently and effectively manage rules. Increasingly, firms seek business rules management systems (BRMS) for assistance. Although studies have examined BRMS technical considerations, few have examined management considerations of deploying and managing BRMS projects. This study addresses this gap through examination and comparative analysis of BRMS deployments. Qualitative case study methods are employed and findings suggest a common deployment methodology and emergence of tightly structured services model. Participants adoption drivers, consequences of deployment, IT alignment and transitions to IT service-orientations are provided.

A Lifecycle Approach towards Business Rules Management

Automating business rules management has provided significant benefits including greater control, improved flexibility, and the ability to rapidly deploy business rules across processes, information systems and channels (Web, legacy, wireless and otherwise). These benefits, in addition to trends in service orientated architectures, Web semantics, and business process management, have spawned an emerging business rules engine (BRE) market. Despite these developments, little has been published in MIS journals that examine the management of business rules management systems (BRMS) development and deployments. Making use of structuration research methods, we collect data from leading developers, end- users, researchers and thought-leaders from the industry. Data collection results revealed a business rules management lifecycle inclusive of these steps: align, capture, organize, author, distribute, test, apply, maintain. The contextual influences, actors, inputs, outputs and artifacts are identified in each step. Academic and managerial contributions, as well as recommendations for future research are provided.

Open source software licenses: Strong-copyleft, non-copyleft, or somewhere in between?

Studies on open source software (OSS) have shown that the license under which an OSS is released has an impact on the success or failure of the software. In this paper, we model the relationship between an OSS developers utility, the effort that goes into developing an OSS, his attitude towards the freedom to choose an OSS license, and the choice of OSS license. We find that the larger the effort to develop OSS, the more is the likelihood that the OSS license would be free from restrictions. Interestingly, the result holds even when all OSS developers prefer restrictive licenses or less-restrictive license. The results suggest that least-restrictive or non-copyleft license will dominate other types of OSS license when a large effort is required to develop derivative software. On the other hand, most-restrictive or strong-copyleft licenses will be the dominant license when minimal effort is required to develop the original OSS and the derivative software.

Estimating the Contextual Risk of Data Breach: An Empirical Approach

Abstract Data breach incidents are on the rise, and have resulted in severe financial and legal implications for the affected organizations. We apply the opportunity theory of crime, the institutional anomie theory, and institutional theory to identify factors that could increase or decrease the contextual risk of data breach. We investigate the risk of data breach in the context of an organization’s physical location, its primary industry, and the type of data breach that it may have suffered in the past. Given the location of an organization, the study finds support for application of the opportunity theory of crime and the institutional anomie theory in estimating the risk of data breach incidents within a state. In the context of the primary industry in which an organization operates, we find support for the institutional theory and the opportunity theory of crime in estimating risk of data breach incidents within an industry. Interestingly though, support for the opportunity theory of crime is partial. We find that investment in information technology (IT) security corresponds to a higher risk of data breach incidents within both a state and an industry, a result contrary to the one predicted by the opportunity theory of crime. A possible explanation for the contradiction is that investments in IT security are not being spent on the right kind of data security controls, a fact supported by evidence from the industry. The work has theoretical and practical implications. Theories from criminology are used to identify the risk factors of data breach incidents and the magnitude of their impact on the risk of data breach. Insights from the study can help IT security practitioners to assess the risk environment of their firm (in terms of data breaches) based on the firm’s location, its industry sector, and the kind of breaches that the firm may typically be prone to.

Business rules management in healthcare: A lifecycle approach

This paper proposes a framework to apply business rules management (BRM) to healthcare service delivery. Implementation of recently government-mandated quality standards for healthcare provider requires them to modify or change their business processes, practices, and approach to healthcare delivery. An automated business rules management will provide significant benefits to these providers. The benefits include greater control, improved flexibility, and the ability to rapidly deploy business rules across processes, information systems and channels (web, legacy, wireless and otherwise). These benefits, in addition to trends in service orientated architectures, web semantics, and business process management, have spawned an emerging business rules engine (BRE) market. Despite these developments, little has been published in MIS journals that examine the management of business rules management systems (BRMS) development and deployments in general, and in healthcare service sector in particular. Making use of structuration research methods, we collect data from leading developers, end-users, researchers and thought leaders from the industry. Data collection results revealed a business rules management lifecycle inclusive of these steps: align, capture, organize, author, distribute, test, apply, and maintain. The contextual influences, actors, inputs, outputs and artifacts are identified in each step. Academic and managerial contributions, as well as recommendations for future research are provided.