Future Perspectives for Open Source Solutions

What are the advantages of the Open Source approach and why does Camptocamp remain committed to offering Open Source solutions to our clients? ICT Journal interviewed Camptocamp Co-founder Claude Philipona to get his perspective on Open Source as a model as well as the IT trends impacting the Romandie areas in 2024.

Camptocamp has always stood out for its specialization in Open Source. What do you see as the advantages of this model?

The Open Source model offers several key advantages. Firstly, it fosters innovation through community collaboration, enabling developers from different backgrounds to contribute and constantly improve software. In addition, transparency and security are enhanced, as source codes are accessible to all, enabling vulnerabilities to be quickly identified and corrected. This model also offers greater flexibility, enabling companies to customize solutions to meet their specific needs while respecting standards. In addition, Open Source forces the provider to excel, as there is little or no vendor lock-in. Last but not least, Open Source delivers a better ROI (return on investment) in terms of TCO (total cost of ownership): it's possible to do more with the same budget.

In the cloud and in DevOps tools, Open Source solutions have become indispensable. What explains this success?

The success of Open Source solutions in the cloud and in DevOps tools can be explained by several factors. Their adaptable and scalable nature is perfectly suited to the ever-changing needs of cloud computing and DevOps. Open Source solutions facilitate integration and interoperability between different tools and platforms, which is essential in these fields. What's more, the Open Source community plays a vital role in the rapid evolution and ongoing innovation of tools and technologies, which is particularly important in today's dynamic technological environment.

What are Camptocamp's main projects and areas of development?

Camptocamp distinguishes itself in the Geospatial sector with high-availability solutions for disseminating and processing geographic information. Camptocamp is also currently developing high value-added integrated vertical solutions in a number of fields, including emergency and response management systems.

In the field of Open Source ERP, Camptocamp continues its strong involvement in the Odoo ecosystem. Camptocamp is focusing its development on two fronts: the integrated Smartcamp offering for very small businesses, and specific advanced logistics solutions, while offering cutting-edge skills in e-commerce, assembly and services.

In terms of infrastructure, given its historical expertise, Camptocamp is focusing on the development of a DevOps stack offering a high degree of "agnosticity" with regard to cloud providers.

What trends do you think will shape the IT agenda of companies in French-speaking Switzerland in 2024?

One of the trends influencing 2024 is the rebalancing of infrastructures. Following years of transfers to the cloud, there is a trend to reintegrate certain services on on-premise or hybrid infrastructures, for reasons of cost or data protection. At the same time, after an AI exploratory phase, companies will gradually integrate this technology into their information systems, requiring them to consolidate the interoperability of their IT solutions with AI tools. In short, 2024 will be more than ever synonymous with "Go digital", where digitization will be an essential competitive asset, across all sectors.