Exist Global Demonstrates Open Source Value Creation at the Aboitiz Tech Forum

Open source, characterized by collaboration and access to source code in relation to software development, and the business models built around it, continue to reshape the IT ecosystem. The combination of cost savings, improved quality and support, and rapid time to market have accelerated open source adoption globally. Open source alternatives are increasingly top-of-mind for more CIOs and Gartner has recently reported a move away from proprietary to open-source and home-grown software.

“Open source has been an agent of innovation for the past years,” says Mike Lim. “More than 10 years ago, standards were dictated by the bigger technology companies. However, the past decade has reflected a transformation that distinguishes open source as the de facto choice for majority of global organizations. Open source today sets the trends.”

Open source as a platform for the development of strategic intellectual property has the potential to disrupt and eventually, define standards. Exist has established the credentials to prove open source’s promise of innovation. In 2005, Exist delivered a revolutionary open-source stack Java application platform, Gluecode Joe, which IBM bought in the same year. In 2007, Exist had another breakthrough with the development of the first open source Service Oriented Architecture platform, LogicBlaze Fuse, acquired by Iona in 2007, and subsequently acquired by Progress Software in 2008.

Exist software engineers are also pioneering developers for Jetty, a Java-based HTTP server and application server that is an open source project under the Apache 2.0 License. In 2008, Exist produced the first open source Filipina Vice President Deng Ching in the Apache Software Foundation, strengthening its elite team of Open Source contributors.

“Open source’s community model is designed to maximize efficiency and enable collaborative and interactive software engineering,” says Deng, currently Chairperson of the Apache Archiva Project Management Committee and senior software engineer at Exist.

“We are very excited to have Exist talk about Open Source at our technology forum,” says Hoton Elicano, CTO at Aboitiz Group of Companies. “The conference provides a terrific opportunity for IT decision-makers in the Aboitiz Group of Companies to learn about the technology first-hand from a company that has proven success with it.”

Aboitiz has several deployments of open source technologies inside the organization, such as Alfresco for its enterprise-wide knowledge management. “Open source has helped us cut on investments,” remarks Hoton. “Not only is open source more mature now, it also has wider support which makes its appeal more impressive than its proprietary counterparts.”

Watch out for the presentation material at:www.slideshare.net/ExistPH. For help and technical consulting related to open source, contact Exist at www.exist.com/contact.

About Exist

Building on 10 years of experience, Exist helps businesses deliver strategic business results, reduce costs, and increase the value of their IT investments.

With roots in Open Source and technology expertise in Java and Ruby on Rails, Exist has created products ranging from enterprise software to interactive web and mobile applications to technology software solutions for companies, including start-ups and Fortune 500 companies, around the world.

Exist is headquartered in the Philippines with software development operations at the IT centers in Manila and Cebu.

About Aboitiz Group of Companies

Aboitiz & Company, Inc. is the private holding company in the Philippines of the Aboitiz Family.

Today, together with joint ventures and alliances with domestic and foreign partners, Aboitiz focuses on seven major areas, namely: power, banking, food, integrated transport & logistics, land development, construction and shipbuilding. Over 60 operating companies with 27,000 team members now make up the Aboitiz Group of Companies.

About the Aboitiz Tech Forum

The Tech Forum is an annual event exclusive to the IT community of the Aboitiz Group of Companies. The forum aims to be a venue for sharing of best practices, learning from each other and setting of directions and normally covers current IT issues, evolving global trends and evolving global issues.