The collaborative forge LibreSource now released under GPL

The LibreSource consortium, composed of Artenum, INRIA and Paris VII university, announced today the release of LibreSource 2.5, a significant update of its collaborative forge software. LibreSource is now available under the GNU GPL V2 free software license. The new version includes significant enhancements to support collaboration and software development. LibreSource has reached a level of maturity that allows it to orchestrate communities of several thousand users in an industrial context.

LibreSource is a web portal that integrates a comprehensive set of communication and sharing tools that are essential for collaborative work. This solution, particularly appropriate for software development, is designed to facilitate the coordination of collaborative projects and reduce their costs.

LibreSource was created in 2001 under the aegis of France's National Software Technology Network. “First-generation forges were a good start, but they were not well-suited to the requirements of the businesses and research institutions that we were working with”, recalls Julien Forest, CEO of Artenum. “With INRIA and Paris Diderot University, we found a unique combination of vision and expertise that allowed us to respond to these needs. This was the genesis of LibreSource, with its goal of providing superior adaptation to projects and fine-grained access control.”

The initial users of LibreSource came from the scientific community. The European Space Agency was the first to use it in an industrial R&D project framework. Last year was notable for the expanded deployment of LibreSource, including installations at Thales Communications and the French Environment Ministry. “This is an example of a successful technology transfer between research and industry, based on an open source economic model”, said Bruno Sportisse, Director of INRIA's Technology Transfer and Innovation Department. “Artenum has made LibreSource a benchmark in the forge marketplace and a success in its community.”

As an Open Source software, LibreSource gathers a growing community. “We have selected the GNU GPL V2 license in order to support this community and to facilitate the adoption of LibreSource”, explained Stéphane Bagnier, head of Groupware at Artenum. “LibreSource's community has made immense contributions to its quality.”

Among other enhancements, LibreSource version 2.5 provides improved integration of the Subversion configuration manager as well as JOnAS and JBoss Java-based application server support.“LibreSource has reached a level of maturity that allows it to orchestrate communities of several thousand users in an industrial context”, said Stéphane Bagnier. “Our objective for 2008 is to reach critical mass in the industrial sector, with an emphasis on international markets.”

This partnership between Artenum and INRIA outlines the vitality of software development at INRIA, a key element of its transfer policies, reaffirmed in its latest strategic plan (2008-2012).

About Artenum

Artenum is a company offering software solution services for research and development. Artenum transfers its know-how to its partners to let them focus on their core activities. Concurrent with the release of LibreSource 2.5, Artenum has introduced its new range of products and services. The company offers out-of-the-box LibreSource servers and professional services for hosting, training, customization, technical and functional support for LibreSource. Full details of their product range and current licensing plan are available on Artenum's site. Find out more : http://www.artenum.com

About INRIA

The French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control is the only French public institute entirely dedicated to the research in science and technologies for information and communication (STIC).

• Status: A public scientific and technological research agency reporting to the ministries of Research and Industry.
• Leadership: Michel Cosnard, CEO of INRIA; Jean-Pierre Verjus, Deputy Managing Director.
• Annual Budget (2008): 186 M€, more than 20% of which is provided by outside sources, such as businesses, French and European government agencies and communities.
• Regional Research Centers: Paris – Rocquencourt, Sophia Antipolis – Méditerranée, Grenoble – Rhône-Alpes, Nancy – Grand Est, Rennes – Bretagne Atlantique, Bordeaux – Sud-Ouest, Lille – Nord Europe, Saclay–Ile-de-France.
• 150 research project groups, 85% of them shared with other major organizations, schools and universities.
• 2800 researchers, 1,000 of them doctoral candidates
• 790 active research contracts
• 89 businesses created since 1984.
• More : http://www.inria.fr

posted by Stéphane Bagnier at May 21, 2008 11:08 AM