[wsfii-discuss] OpenHardware Meeting - Paris Dec.13th 2007

Wed Nov 7 10:30:08 UTC 2007

Hi all!

We (Vic Hayes, Xavier Carcelle, Marek Linder, Florian Fainelli and Juergen Neumann=me) are currently organizing an OpenHardware get-together in Paris - http://www.openpattern.org . Our first goal is to achieve cheap FOSS compatible open embedded wireless hardware. As we all know the world needs cheep FOSS compliant wireless devices (simple nodes), which come off the factory with e.g. OpenWRT or similar OS. Second we need a modular more comprehensive wireless router (super node) for backhaul infrastructure (http://wiki.freifunk.net/OpenHardware and more IEEE conform: http://openpattern.org/drupal/IEEE_HN1_Conf_OpenPatternProject_Article_071007.pdf)

The meeting in Paris, which is a co-conference to IEEE home networking 2007 http://home-networking2007.org/, shall be a first official get-together of FOSS developers, OEM industry, wireless activists, business people and FSF to have talks and workshops on various issues on the road towards OpenHardware. It shall target the following issues:

1. What is open hardware in the sense of a licence? 

We have a very first draft on this topic: The term OpenHardware refers to hardware, which is fully documented, with both specifications and documentation freely available, including the drivers and firmware required to make the hardware operational for its principle task. The source code of the drivers and the firmware as well as all items of the MIB should be directly available to the software developers. The product with the drivers and firmware are type approved globally and the purchasers are indemnified from any Intellectual Property claims. It must be possible to write free and open source drivers for this hardware without any restrictions or limitations. Furthermore, the hardware design shall be available so that anyone can access, modify and/or reproduce any of the hardware components. A licence is needed to protect "OpenHardware"

2. Why is there a global need for cheap open source hardware (especially wireless routers)

Here we want to point industry to the potential markets in Afrika, Asia and even in USA an Europe. Over the last 5 years I have been working with wireless people from all over the world. There are wireless communities in almost every country and places on this planet. They all seek for well designed cheap open embedded hardware. FOSS compliant hardware would prevent us from all the time and resources consuming reengeneering process a.s.o. There are millions of potential customers for cheap wireless mesh devices like accesspoints or wifi-phones, etc ...

3. What are the benefits of OpenHardware?

Today’s hardware development is split into separate hardware divisions across the industrial landscape resulting in individual development branches and only little innovation. OpenHardware will bring about dialogs between all parties involved -  the producers, the customers and the consumers. By directly communicating with customers / communities / free developers, producers can access innovative input from outside the company itself on advices to improve their products thereby working closer on the consumers needs and ultimately widen their market. The customer could express needs for adaptation of old products or even lead the way to the creation of a totally new product altogether. These synergy effects drastically reduce the research & development costs, increase the number of potential customers and most importantly form the fundamental basis for a level of customer satisfaction demanded in the 21st century.

4. Why is this interesting for OEM producers?

Traditional OEM producers depend on external purchasers which commission a product to sell it by themselves via their established distribution channels. After finishing the production the result is handed over and the OEM has to find a new purchaser. OpenHardware designs would fill the gap between the producer and the actual market, by providing the necessary designs which can be produced and shipped without an external purchaser. The combination of modern marketing through Open Source Communities and customer networks reached over the Internet are the key to selling these products around the globe. 
The OpenHardware concept would allow for one product being adapted for several thousand completely different needs, as it could be shipped in parts and later be assembled at its final location, after being thoroughly customized to the situation at hand. OEMs could use the feedback and the contributed efforts to further improve their products and claim a strong share of the market. Furthermore, the community formed around an OpenHardware product could serve as a pool for the recruitment of capable and willing developers/testers or distributors who already know the product, thereby saving a lot of time in the initial and crucial phase of employment. Also would the customer bonding to the company increase dramatically, as the product is no longer developed for the consumer but with and most importantly BY the consumer.

5. New channels and ways of distribution 

When you buy a Linksys WRT54GL in India or Afrika it is about twice as expensive as if you buy it in the US or Europe. Though produced in Asia for less than 10 Dollars, it is shipped and brandend into the western world, before it can be redistributed to Asia or Afrika. In the west it's at about 50 EUR and back in Asia it's about 100 EUR. That is stupid nonsense, but has it's roots in the trading tradtions formed over the last centuries. New e-business plattforms (webshops) and global logistics offer much more inexpensive and direct distribution channels to almost every place in the world. Community needs on a product are not so much about well designed boxing and accessoires, but much more about bulk boards packed in charges of 20, 50, 100 or even larger. Following these ideas it should be possible to sell wireless equipment for about 10 to 15 Dollars all over the world, but especialy in the developing countries. That's what we want to achieve.

Of course I know that we cannot reach all these goals in just one meeting, but I am very sure that Paris has the potential to be a first important step in this direction. Also there will not be OpenHardware until we have open chips. So we need to see it as a phased model. Step one is cheap FOSS compliant wireless hardware off the factory. 

All help and support is welcome! Please spread the word and give me/us your feedback to this first drafted outline. 

Kindly,

Juergen    