Click here to learn
about this Sponsor:
Home  |  News  |  Articles  |  Polls  |  Forum

Keywords: Match:
Insurance product targets enterprises using open source
Oct. 31, 2005

Three companies will create an insurance product for large corporations using open source software. Open Source Compliance Insurance will be underwritten by Kiln of London, and brokered in England and the US by Miller Insurance Services. Open Source Risk Management (OSRM) will serve as advisor and exclusive worldwide risk-assessor.

OSRM began offering three "reinsurance" (definition) products for open source software users in April of 2004. It says more than 30 legal claims alleging open source license infringement have been brought against corporations during the last two years, with plaintiffs prevailing in each case.

Open Source Compliance Insurance will cover up to $10M for direct loss from license suits, as well as loss of profits due to product withdrawal or alteration. It will also cover "impaired valuation" of acquisition agreements exchanging open source software -- open source compliance is excluded from standard "Errors and Omissions" insurance, and is a concern for privately-held technology companies seeking to be acquired, go public, or obtain equity financing, OSRM says.

Open source license compliance is also a potential material risk for public companies reporting finances under Sarbanes-Oxley, according to OSRM.

Companies most at risk of license disputes are those using open source software within proprietary software, such as trading tools or inventory management applications, OSRM says. If such applications are distributed in any form -- to trading partners via an extranet, for example -- companies are then obliged to distribute them to everyone -- including competitors -- under the GPL, OSRM says.

Kiln Risk Solutions's underwriter, Matthew Hogg, said, "Open source risk is already material to many Global 2,000 companies, and will soon be an issue for both large and small enterprises. We anticipate significant worldwide demand for this product."

OSRM CEO Daniel Egger said, "Not every company using open source is exposed to risks, but it is critical that companies take licenses seriously and fully understand what constitutes violation and therefore exposure. This product will help eliminate one of the last reasons for corporate resistance to Linux and other open source software."

Miller's director of science and technology, Ian Lewis, said, "Open Source is one of the most important emerging trends in technology, and sophisticated clients are already demanding solutions in this area."

Additional details are available in an eWEEK story, here.



Related Stories:


(Click here for further information)


FUEL Database on MontaVista Linux
Whether building a mobile handset, a car navigation system, a package tracking device, or a home entertainment console, developers need capable software systems, including an operating system, development tools, and supporting libraries, to gain maximum benefit from their hardware platform and to meet aggressive time-to-market goals.

Breaking New Ground: The Evolution of Linux Clustering
With a platform comprising a complete Linux distribution, enhanced for clustering, and tailored for HPC, Penguin Computing¿s Scyld Software provides the building blocks for organizations from enterprises to workgroups to deploy, manage, and maintain Linux clusters, regardless of their size.

Data Monitoring with NightStar LX
Unlike ordinary debuggers, NightStar LX doesn¿t leave you stranded in the dark. It¿s more than just a debugger, it¿s a whole suite of integrated diagnostic tools designed for time-critical Linux applications to reduce test time, increase productivity and lower costs. You can debug, monitor, analyze and tune with minimal intrusion, so you see real execution behavior. And that¿s positively illuminating.

Virtualizing Service Provider Networks with Vyatta
This paper highlights Vyatta's unique ability to virtualize networking functions using Vyatta's secure routing software in service provider environments.

High Availability Messaging Solution Using AXIGEN, Heartbeat and DRBD
This white paper discusses a high-availability messaging solution relying on the AXIGEN Mail Server, Heartbeat and DRBD. Solution architecture and implementation, as well as benefits of using AXIGEN for this setup are all presented in detail.

Understanding the Financial Benefits of Open Source
Will open source pay off? Open source is becoming standard within enterprises, often because of cost savings. Find out how much of a financial impact it can have on your organization. Get this methodology and calculator now, compliments of JBoss.

Embedded Hardware and OS Technology Empower PC-Based Platforms
The modern embedded computer is the jack of all trades appearing in many forms.

Data Management for Real-Time Distributed Systems
This paper provides an overview of the network-centric computing model, data distribution services, and distributed data management. It then describes how the SkyBoard integration and synchronization service, coupled with an implementation of the OMG¿s Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard, can be used to create an efficient data distribution, storage, and retrieval system.

7 Advantages of D2D Backup
For decades, tape has been the backup medium of choice. But, now, disk-to-disk (D2D) backup is gaining in favor. Learn why you should make the move in this whitepaper.

 


Got a HOT tip?   please tell us!
Free weekly newsletter
Enter your email...
Click here for a profile of each sponsor:
PLATINUM SPONSORS
GOLD SPONSORS
(Become a sponsor)

ADVERTISEMENT
(Advertise here)

Check out the latest Linux powered...

mobile phones!

other cool
gadgets



BREAKING NEWS

• Hacker-friendly karaoke PMP runs Linux
• Maemo gains KOffice port
• OLPC partners with Amazon, ITU
• "cJTAG" debuts
• First $100 laptop runs Linux
• First Linux on Everest
• Dell ships Ubuntu- and Atom-based netbook
• Smallest x86 board ever?
• MontaVista Vision gains focus
• "Olympics" phone runs Linux
• Android Challenge winners push location awareness
• Atmel-based industrial SBC runs Linux
• Atom squeezes onto Pico-ITX board
• Via frees Chrome graphics driver source
• Webinar dissects Linux multicore migration


Most popular stories -- past 90 days:
• Open source phone goes mass-market
• Updated! Linux Mobile Phones Showcase
• World's cheapest Linux-based laptop?
• Garmin Nav devices run Gnome Linux
• First Atom-based notebook runs Linux
• ARM9 board boots Debian in 0.69 seconds
• Open source camera records geotagged video to SATA HDD
• Linux-friendly Beagle fetches $150
• "PDA phone" runs Linux
• Intel offers $80 "Little Falls" Atom mobo
• Netflix Player runs Linux


DesktopLinux headlines:
• OSCON 2008 presentations, videos posted
• Debian distro named for little green man
• Google spins web browser
• Summit debuts for Linux end users
• "UbuntuLite" reviewed
• Linux in the SME
• Linux: not yet photo-friendly
• Linux to gain anti-virus software
• Linux gains backup utility
• Testing Lenny


Also visit our sister site:


Sign up for LinuxDevices.com's...

news feed

Home  |  News  |  Articles  |  Polls  |  Forum  |  About  |  Contact
 

Ziff Davis Enterprise Home | Contact Us | Advertise | Link to Us | Reprints | Magazine Subscriptions | Newsletters
Tech RSS Feeds | White Papers | ROI Calculators | Tech Podcasts | Tech Video | VARs | Channel News

Baseline | Careers | Channel Insider | CIO Insight | DesktopLinux | DeviceForge | DevSource | eSeminars |
eWEEK | Enterprise Network Security | LinuxDevices | Linux Watch | Microsoft Watch | Mid-market | Networking | PDF Zone |
Publish | Security IT Hub | Strategic Partner | Web Buyer's Guide | Windows for Devices

Developer Shed | Dev Shed | ASP Free | Dev Articles | Dev Hardware | SEO Chat | Tutorialized | Scripts |
Code Walkers | Web Hosters | Dev Mechanic | Dev Archives | igrep

Use of this site is governed by our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Except where otherwise specified, the contents of this site are copyright © 1999-2008 Ziff Davis Enterprise Holdings Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Ziff Davis Enterprise is prohibited. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.