Talk "GLPI and FusionInventory", together with Gonéri Le Bouder, Wednesday, 11.05.2011, Room Berlin II, 3 - 4 p.m: GLPI/FusionInventory is a software suite for hardware and software inventory and network devices discovery, IT asset management as well as ITIL compliant incident management system. The talk will introduce the functionnalities of the stable versions and will make a demonstration of their usage. To Walid's Talk
Backstage with Walid
Walid, how did you come in contact with FOSS for the first time, and why did you stick to it?
My first FOSS experience was during my studies: I had to work on Red Hat Linux. But I have to say that the first real experience was later, during my first job: for me it was like discovering a brand new world!
What is your experience in the IT consultancy business: Does people often ask for FOSS and value it?
I started as IT consultant 10 years ago and since 5 years I work full time on FOSS. I'm excited and confident, because it seems to me that FOSS is becoming a real alternative for companies. A lot of new customers ask for FOSS: they don't know yet, but want to try. But more interesting, some ask for community driven development, which means that they want to be sure to contribute to the projects they're using.
Apart from GLPI/FusionInventory and the whole Tekkiverse - which part of life is of special interest for you, something you personally find really fascinating?
I'm a rollerskater. Since 20 years, I ride quadskates and try to promote it, even if now everybody is fond of inlineskates!
In work life, you are a IT consultant for a company in Paris. For those who try to envision what that means: What does a typical "Walid-day" look like?
I work at home in Brussels, Belgium, part of my time. I come back to France for meetings, or to visit customers. A typical "Walid-day" would be to manage our GLPI or FusionInventory customers, write some code or fix bugs. A part of my job is also to discuss and help my collegues working on the same subjects, and make sure that most of the code we write can be reversed.
Why did you choose to present a talk at LinuxTag 2011?
For years, my friends told me that LinuxTag is a great experience! As a member of both GLPI and FusionInventory projects, I'm always proud to introduce them to a new audience. That's why my collegue Gonéri and I decided to apply for a talk.
Walid's Data Sheet
What is FOSS and Linux: What is it all about? My answer in 3 sentences:
1) It's about writing software that you can download, modify, distribute and inspect for free: It's all about freedom and knowledge sharing.
2) FOSS is a group of people, working together to make good a software: it's a personal choice, and often a real human adventure also.
3) FOSS is for everyone: it gives people a chance to become an actor, and not to stay as a passive consumer!