What is OSLC?
OSLC: an open community
OSLC: a set of specifications for integrating software
An open community building practical specifications for integrating software.
Why does it matter?
See also Who should care about OSLC.
Ability to create software using reusable and open assets that will interoperate with other tools both inside and outside their influence providing time and cost savings. For instance, you can build one interface to interoperate with multiple tools, and which eliminates rework caused by changes in tool versions.
Ability to reduce the complexity and risk symptomatic of increasingly complex software infrastructures, and improve the value of software across a broader set of internal and external stakeholders. For example, companies will be better able to integrate disjointed workflows and reuse information more efficiently in areas such as design, development, test and service while at the same time reducing the integration costs and proprietary concerns attributed to the use of less open software.
Ability to view and link artifacts across tools without leaving the ‘comfort’ of your primary workspace. For instance, a QA professional can view requirements that are managed by a requirements management tool, and create links between test cases and requirements, without leaving the test management tool.
Sean: It was recently pointed out to me that sync-based integration models also allow users to work “across tools leaving the ‘comfort’ of [their] primary workspace”. Proposed alternate wording:
“Ability to work seamlessly across your tools, and have better traceability and visibility emerge naturally from your uses.”
System Integrators
Ability to focus energy and resources on higher-value customizations and deliver more business value to your clients. The common and simple OSLC integration model reduces the time and money you spend integrating software and maintaining those integrations.
Influencers
Allows users, developers and third parties to gain increased value and opportunity through improved and open integration of software, and it incites innovation in both software and service communities. This will allow companies and tool suppliers to bridge historically isolated areas of technology and business workflows, and encourages new applications to be developed that unlock the latent value of a customer’s data.
