L’organisation OSS Watch (Open source software advisory service) offre un soutien aux institutions d’enseignement en Angleterre au niveau des logiciels libres. Ils ont réalisé un portrait très bien fait sur la plate-forme d’apprentissage à distance Moodle.

Moodle: a case study in sustainability

Un des éléments important de cet article est la présentation du modèle d’affaire (business model) de ceux qui ont créé Moodle.

Il y a différent types d’acteurs dans ce modèle.

Moodle Trust: The core company that maintains and co-ordinates the entire Moodle project.

Moodle Community: So-called ‘Moodlers’ provide input on new features, test existing features, and provide ideas for the direction of Moodle. Users share information and stay connected to each other via Moodle community forums, blogs, e-mail, Instant Messaging, and utilities such as Skype. Members of the community also organise and attend numerous MoodleMoots around the world, providing opportunities for Moodlers to meet and discuss Moodle-based education in person. Participation in the community is entirely voluntary, even for people who work on Moodle as a full-time occupation.

Moodle Clients: Clients are Moodlers who engage the services of Moodle Partners (or other non-affiliated organisations) to formally support and maintain their Moodle sites, or to provide training, certification, consulting, installation or development services to extend Moodle with new features. They also provide Partners with valuable feedback about Moodle and how it should develop in the future. Clients also pay the Moodle Trust for specific Moodle features.

Moodle Partners: Moodle Partners are companies that provide commercial support to Moodle Clients. Through the royalties, annual fees and unpaid work they contribute, they play an important role in helping to fund paid developers and further the development of Moodle initiatives. By the middle of 2006 there were approximately 40 Moodle Partners worldwide providing support to nearly 1,000 institutions. Moodle Partners receive a number of benefits such as priority support from the Moodle Trust and the rights to use trademarks and other assets.

Moodle Developers: Moodle Developers are spread out across the globe. Some work for institutions that use Moodle, while others have an interest in specific areas of the product and may contribute to Moodle in their own time. Some Developers are paid by the Moodle Trust, some are paid by other institutions, and others work on a voluntary basis.

Voici un schéma qui représente les différents acteurs.