Using Proof of Concept Prototypes and Pilot Projects to Evaluate Opensource Technologies

This a “how to” session that establishes a foundational understanding of  what it takes to produce a Proof of Concept Prototype and a Pilot Project which objectively prove that a given Opensource Technology can be successfully  employed in your organization.
The evaluation of an Opensource Automatic Testing Framework shall be used as the
example technology for the session.
The session will first cover how Proof of Concept Prototypes can be used to mitigate the technical risks associated with employing an Opensource Technology. It will then cover how the drawbacks typically associated with Proof of Concept Prototypes (i.e. costs, time to complete, etc.) can be over come. How Proof of Concept Prototypes can be used to obtain funding for Pilot Projects will be covered next.
The session will lastly cover how Pilot Projects can be used to make the Business Case for a employing a Opensource Technology.  That is, how to make objective measurements for quality, productivity, costs, etc. will be discussed.  Also technology transfer techniques that help overcome the human aspects of adopting new technologies will be discussed.