IWSECO 2011: Third international workshop on software ecosystems

Software vendors no longer function as independent units, where all customers are end-users, where there are no suppliers, and where all software is built in-house. Instead, software vendors have become networked, i.e., software vendors are depending on (communities of) service and software component suppliers, value-added-resellers, and pro-active customers who build and share customizations. Software vendors now have to consider their strategic role in the software ecosystem to survive. With their role in the software ecosystem in mind, software vendors can become more successful by opening up their business, devising new business models, forging long-lasting relationships with partnership networks, and overcoming technical and social challenges that are part of these innovations. The focus of the first workshop was the definition of the research field. The second workshop's focus was the 'ideal' architecture of a software platform. The third workshop on software ecosystems focuses on the management of software ecosystems, i.e., how a software vendor can manage its network of partners, developers, service deliverers, and other third parties that play a role in the software ecosystem.