Complex web sites are built using just such an approach based on popular open source content management systems. In many cases there is no need to write any code but they can be assembled them using third part components with configurable characteristics. Add in a process/ workflow/ forms management capability such as enAct and you can build pretty well any type of business or management application. Add some additional technical functionality and the sky’s the limit as it could then integrate with hardware that uses exposed services.

The technical development then is in the tools and components; in building the black boxes to support “Lego” brick approach to system creation. There is much to be said in taking the creation of business solutions from technical management and developers. To properly separate infrastructure from operations; it should not be for technicians to tell the organisation how it should work, something that happens all too often.

So is the opportunity more about that exposure of the data (and methods) rather than actually sharing code. It gets round the proprietorial attitude to “their code” felt by many development teams and allows them to keep control of their IPR in a more granular form whilst still providing a collaborative solutions framework. Would this fit with the programme?