OSA and OW2 Announce Merger Plans

If you have trouble remembering the difference between all the acronym-laden open source organizations out there, now you'll have two less to recall. Open Solutions Alliance (OSA) and OW2 Consortium announced merger plans today. Paris-based OW2 focuses on open source middleware technology while California-based OSA drives adoption of open source software in enterprise. Together, they'll reach out to businesses, schools, and governments spanning several nations.

""When you look at each organization's strengths in technology and market presence, as well as the global positioning of our members, OSA and OW2 look like two puzzle pieces waiting to be put together. We can do much more together than apart, and a combined entity will provide a single voice for open source worldwide and a unique global pool of open source resources," ” said Cedric Thomas, OW2 CEO, in a prepared statement.

OW2's notable members include Funambol, Red Hat, Talend, and China's National University of Defense Technology. OSA membership roster also has several familiar names, including SourceForge, Ingres, and Unisys. Both organizations host or attend seminars, conferences, and other events throughout the world, as well frequent member-sponsored Webinars.

The group's new name and merger date have yet to be announced.