Free Revealing [electronic resource] : How Firms Can Profit From Being Open / by Oliver Alexy.

Introduction: Commercial Open Source Software -- Open Source Software: Source of Innovation? -- Top-Down Adoption of OSS -- Bottom-up Adoption of OSS -- Managing OSS-related Processes -- Motivation and Incentivizing of OSS Developers -- Summary and Outlook: OSS in the 21st Century.

The concept of ǣfree revealingǥ describes the continually growing practice of companies that release results of their innovation processes to the public rather than patenting them or keeping them secret. Using the example of corporate OSS engagement, Oliver Alexy shows how this practice can be carried out both effectively and efficiently by companies. He evaluates potential advantages and disadvantages from the viewpoint of top management and company employees to understand how this practice diffuses within the corporation, and who is likely to support it. Simultaneously, the author demonstrates how corporate processes can be designed to increase the odds of success of free revealing.