The Open Group Research Institute

You may not have heard of The Open Group, a company that the OpenSoftware Foundation (OSF) and the X/Open Company recently formed. The Open GroupResearch Institute used to be the OSF Research Institute, and its charterremains much the same.

As Ira Goldstein, a founder of the OSF Research Institute and its formerhead, said in the group's mission statement, "The Open Group ResearchInstitute investigates software technology needed to improve the scaleability,portability, interoperability, and usability of computer systems. We conductthese investigations collaboratively with academia and industry. Our methodologyis to develop complete prototypes that you can subject to rigorous measurementand to provide a platform for others to build on our work. We are successfulwhen our research delivers innovation and economy: innovation by providingsolutions to difficult system technology requirements and economy by providing avehicle for shared investment in this research.

"Research Institute results are open. We make our prototypes availableas source code for research and evaluation to government, academia, andindustry. Commercial licenses are available for sponsor organizations. TheResearch Institute hosts several symposia each year and presents its workregularly at conferences." (Goldstein recently accepted the position ofInternet technology officer for Hewlett-Packard and chief technology officer forHP's Computer Systems Organization.)