How to introduce open data to your organisation

"Open data can also be used as an element of crowd sourcing, making it available for people ready to provide a solution to a challenge. This pulls in a wider range of skills than a company is likely to possess in-house. The ODI provides guidance on how to make a business case for open data (http://theodi.org/guides/how-make-business-case-open-data), the first steps of which are to think about the organisation’s goals, then look at how the data is used, how it could be used and what other data could be released to good purpose. The key measure, creating value for the business, tends to fit within one of three models, or possibly a combination.  First is the ‘freemium’, often used for web applications, in which a free source of data is subsidised by a paid-for service that provides extra value for the user. Second is the cross-subsidy model, which funds the release of open data through other benefits to the organisation such as improving the information flow with partners, increasing brand awareness and making it easier for customers to use products and services. Third is the reliance on network effects, which the ODI says has the most potential for big returns on investment. It can involve organisations collaborating to maintain open datasets, which can improve their quality and has scope to attract sponsorship or donations, and the release of data can help to grow the market for relevant products and services. The institute says these should be compared with each other for a particular case, and with the impact of selling the data or doing nothing. It comes down to whether they can see a clear business benefit, and Stuart Coleman, commerical director of the Open Data Institute acknowledges that CIOs and business leaders are not going to invest in the area 'unless they can see an opportunity to attack the bottom line'. He also says that identifying a return on investment is not straightforward ..."