Leveraging Peer Production: An Open Door?

by Joseph Feller

The enormous coverage of the "open" and "user-driven" phenomena in business and technology media makes it difficult for business decision makers to separate hype from reality and to see the practical implications of interesting ideas. This Executive Report examines open source software, open content, and the emergence of mashups using "open" Web services as examples of peer production, and discusses the business implications of this emerging form of innovation and development.