Open for Business - Open Source Inspired Innovation (repost)

Innovation is the engine of the economy, prosperity and progress. In our era of computers, Internet and smart software, innovational inspiration is encroaching from all directions. In order to exploit the new business opportunities that are becoming available, organizations are being compelled to open themselves up to the masses. This means first and foremost that ideas must be fostered via intense interaction with the outside world: partners, knowledge institutes, competitors, and individuals. Expert users play a crucial role in this dynamic environment. This trend, which started with open source software development, is now clearly spreading through all economic sectors.