Open Source Business Value

Simon has become one of the leading voices of the open source community, not only because this was his portfolio at some of the largest software technology companies in the world, but because he has a true passion for the subject that transcends company boundaries. He has often identified strategic inflection points long before his peers, making his views appear quixotic before being proved dead-on.

In addition to having a clear head and a strong voice, Simon is extremely gifted when it comes to both writing and finding the time/motivation to write. Simon can be depended upon to not only be one of the first to recognize an important trend or event, but to write about it in an informative and quotable fashion.

As a member of the OSI Board, Simon has shown real leadership and undertaken some of the most difficult work. He has been a real asset to the organization.

I did not support Simon's joining the board at OSI initially. We did not agree on many things. However, Simon quickly proved to be the most active, viable, persuasive, and effective member of the board. Simon worked with deeply passionate people with opposing viewpoints towards compromise. That is an uncommon skill to even some of the most effective leaders. Simon is a prolific writer and often says the things we are all thinking in just the right turn of phrase. Moreover, Simon has the business experience and practical sense to evaluate what is possible and what is unlikely. I may not always agree with Simon, but he's able to disagree without being disagreeable and I've come to always respect him and his viewpoints.

Simon is creative, strategic and pragmatic--a rare combination! As Sun's Chief Open Source Officer, he has coalesced Sun's position on open source and been a talented and articulate evangelist and strategist. He has credibility both in the business community as well as in th eopen source community, and can communicate and translate effectively between the two. I recommend him unreservedly.

Simon knows the open source community inside and out. He has a good balance of the religious side of open source and the business side. When I would make a misstep with the community, Simon was always able to advise me on how to correct it without causing further damage. Always open and honest, Simon is a great advisor and colleague to have around.

I have worked with and for Simon Phipps over the last several years at Sun Microsystems. He is quite remarkable in a number of ways.

First, he is one of the best managers I have ever worked for. He balances nearly perfectly giving his people plenty of freedom to do their jobs with providing guidance and motivation. He knows how to give his people plenty of energy and to inspire them to volunteer for tasks eagerly. I have rarely in 30 years seen a group with such high morale and eager to take on work as the one I was in during late 2006.

Second, he understands extraordinarily well the confluence of open source and business strategy / operational tactics. He is passionate about his work and can communicate very well with peers, press, and management. His understanding of open source goes beyond knowledge: he is an original thinker on the subject; and though considered an expert in the area myself, I leaned a lot from him.

I would not hesitate to hire him into any situation involving software development and open source, nor would I hesitate to work for him.

He is a rare individual filled with talent, knowledge, and eagerness to help software deveiopers and their organizations succeed. Feel free to contact me for more information.

I've known Simon for a few years, and in every instance we've worked together he has shown his incredible value. His presentations are compelling. In front of customers he explains value clearly, and when asked a question he is incredibly knowledgeable. I'd easily recommend Simon as an expert in technology.

Simon gets the message across clearly, quickly and at the right time. Great chap to work with, excellent public speaker.

It is given to some people to have a winning way with words and others to have a winning way with ideas, but is given to far fewer to have a winning way with both. Simon's that rara avis, a completely rational revolutionary.

Simon is known worldwide as a leading authority on open source software. He's a much sought-after speaker with good reason -- he's funny, animated, insightful and wildly articulate. It was my privilege to support him and learn from him in the course of our work with Sun.

Simon's infectious enthusiasm and unparalleled breadth of knowledge coupled with his excellent ability to sniff out and extrapolate trends made him a joy to work with at IBM.