Public sector

Open source solutions provide the public sector with great opportunities to improve customer service, cut costs and enhance democratic participation of citizens in the information society. Public sector ICT investments also play an important role in the emerging open source market and they can catalyze the adaptation of ICT in this sector to the face the challenges of an open world.

COSS aims to:

1. Advocate commitment to open standards in public sector procurements
2. Assure that open source solutions have an equal position in public procurement competion
3. Increase awareness of open source solutions in building the information society and the development of administration among politicians and citizens
4. Collect information and execute projects in open ICT
5. Help in networking of various actors and professionals in public administration and companies

Mobile & Embedded

Open source and Linux technologies will have a major role in the next generation of embedded systems, e.g. in mobile devices, consumer electronics and intelligent machines. A significant proportion of ICT business in Finland will be based on leading-edge expertise in these technologies and application areas.

Developers

Open source is a working model and creation of developers and developer communities. Distributed development and the ability of talented developers to solve meaningful problems collaboratively is - now and in for future - the core success factor of open source.

The operations of COSS with developers and communities target on

• Improving the competence and work conditions of Finnish open source developers in global communities
• Strengthening the collaborative relationship of companies and the developer community in a way that is mutually beneficial.

Schools

In several Finnish schools, use of open source software in addition to proprietary software is already commonplace. But in few schools, like Kauniainen, Noormarkku, Kangasala and Vihti, has open source been taken into use in earnest.

Research

In close collaboration with the leading universities, the national technology agency Tekes, and the EC, COSS activates and coordinates technology and business related research activities in Finland. COSS provides services for project creation and management, communication and collaboration and industry relations. Together with specialized partners such as Finpro, COSS organizes and executes business development programs for the growth and internationalization of Finnish OSS businesses.