Optaros is a good group as far as I can tell. I just discovered them recently in my job search, pursuing them with great interest because it seemed ideal (Get paid to develop solutions based on OpenSource). I interviewed with them, and was offered a postion as a consultant with them (actually the title was Sr. GUI Developer). But, I decided to decline the offer in favor of a postion with OASIS. My decision was influenced in part by the 50% travel that they expect (which can mean working for a stretch of several months at a client location, with only weekend trips home.) My decision was also influenced by the amount of compensation offered, but I am guessing that I/somebody could have negotiated a higher offer.
Optaros has a stated policy of having staff dedicate 10% of their time to open source projects to keep up to date. And, they also seem to 'get it' in that they *want* people to be comitters on open source projects. You could make the analogy that it is the equivalent of the traditional consulting companies who boast how many advanced degrees their consultants have on average. "We are comitters on this project, so we know the solution better than anyone else". More than that, they understand the lifecycle and benefits of FOSS development. If client enhancements are not comitted back into the codebase, then the delivered project is essentially a fork and more difficult to maintain. Clients don't have an interest in monetizing an enhancement to FOSS, they are more interested in a robust (and self-maintaining) solution. They also don't have the skills/capacity to join in the community development process. So, without an Optaros, a company is more likely to be a leech. With an Optaros, they have a solution; support; a conduit to see their investment sewn into the project; and thus future dependability. If you are a consultant, they are worth checking out. There are others too. - Greg _______________________________________________ gnhlug-discuss mailing list gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss
