This project intends to create new open source business models that a telecom company can follow to develop and sustain its business. We will expect to make an important contribution for companies operating in this segment with the following two roles:

·   Open Source System Integrator – companies that use Open Source software in order to build Open Source based system solutions. Apart from Open Source services also proprietary services can be implemented upon Open Source systems;

·   Open Source Service Providers – companies that sell services for Open Source products. Open Source support services encompass Open Source product related failure handling, adding of new features to the Open Source product, versioning, and others.

We also intend to create business models that take in count the major benefits of open source software to provide reliable solutions in terms of quality, development time and integration. We intend to bring these important qualities to the consumer market and facilitate the integration of commercial and open source components in a whole reliable solution.

These business models will be validated in the telecom market and we expect to receive important feedback from some start-up companies that emerge in the segment of open source solutions. Also, we intend to provide business models that take in consideration the recent appearance of new technologies like IPv6, IMS, VoIP and Ad-Hoc Networks.

Besides that, we want to create a business model that facilitates the relationships between universities / research centers and private companies. With this close relationship we intend to reduce the time to market of the solutions developed in partnership by both entities.