ABSTRACT:
Open Source is a great and constantly growing technology pool
consisting of millions of tools, rapidly developing technologies and
solutions for nearly every technical problem. Some parts of the Open
Source world are determined by asynchronous programming while other
parts are determined by rather strict, slim and goal-oriented work
cycles. Both parts can be a prolific environment for new technologies
and innovations. But industry - more specific railway industry - is
one of the most conservative markets with respect to the adoption of
new technologies and adherence to standards. Industrial products are
developed over years according to a strict life cycle and must be
maintained over decades. Typical railway products are embedded
solutions with the focus on low resource and safety constraints. The
Open Source community offers many solutions, which may fit into these
industrial applications, but some of them cannot be used because of
the gap between the "fast and cool" Open Source world and the industry
that is focused on long-term life cycles. This paper is motivated by
the possibility to minimize the gap between the Open Source world and
the world that is dominated by formal development life cycles (DLCs),
to show ways how to integrate Open Source into industrial DLCs and to
decrease prejudices (on both sides).