The OSA (Open Solutions Alliance), whose goal is to define and promote solutions, tools, frameworks and best practices for facilitating the deployment and integration of open applications in the enterprise, has just published the findings collected from over 100 attendees at 5 customer forums ran in the US and Europe (you can download the summary report here).

For these attendees, interoperability of open source solutions is the most important need.  This interoperability offers them a way out of the “all Microsoft” approach, especially by leveraging technology standards.

The results from this survey show that interoperability issues faced by SMB range from authentication, data integration and synchronization, user interfaces, portals, portability and content integration.  Large companies are more focused on integrating and orchestrating business processes, managing execution and integrating legacy applications.  Finally, they are all worried about supporting and managing applications from multiple providers.

In parallel, enterprises say they tend to favor open source solutions, because they offer more integration options and more features.  With more and more frequent M&A, open source solutions appear more viable.

Beyond interoperability, user organizations are also concerned by support, security, license management, services and training when it relates to Open Source solutions.

The OSA will leverage these conclusions to reinforce its actions in 2008.  Not only will the consortium continue its important evangelizing mission toward enterprises, but it will also target systems integrators and software vendors to help them to reinforce the interoperability of their offerings.  As a founding member of the OSA, Talend will of course be part of these efforts, but will also work on reinforcing the interoperability of its solutions, by working actively with its partners.  This is how we will be able to grow our installed user base in always more numerous organizations and to make their life always easier.  And this is yet another example of how open source communities meet the needs of their users, thanks to permanent listening and a strategy driven by user satisfaction.

Bertrand