The most repeated comment in the press was "like two puzzle pieces" after OSA and OW2 announced their intention to merge at the Open World Forum in Paris on October 1. The unified entity will combine OSA's mission of advocacy and collaboration, strong U.S. presence and marketing savvy, with OW2's mission of facilitating open source software development, deep technical resources and code base, and strong presence in Europe, China and Brazil.

• View the press reports.
• Read press release in English.
• Read the press release in French.

Transition Team Named
The final details of the merger will be worked out by a Transition Operation Group (TOG) comprised of three OSA members and three OW2 members. The OSA Board of Directors appointed OSA President Anthony Gold (Bluenog), OSA Board Member Deb Woods (Ingres), and chief merger negotiator Nick Halsey (Jaspersoft) as its TOG members.

OW2 appointed CEO Cedric Thomas, Board Chairman Jean-Pierre Laisné (BULL SAS), and Vice President in Charge of Technology Gaël Blondelle (EBM WebSourcing) as its TOG members.

OSA Transition Operation Group (TOG) Members
OSA President Anthony Gold (Bluenog)	OSA Board Member Deb Woods (Ingres)	Chief merger negotiator Nick Halsey (Jaspersoft)

OW2 Transition Operation Group (TOG) Members
OW2 CEO Cedric Thomas	OW2 Board Chairman Jean-Pierre Laisné (BULL SAS)	OW2 Vice President in Charge of Technology Gaël Blondelle (EBM WebSourcing)

A few details are already known. A new Board election will take place early in 2010, and both organizations will retain their brands. Operational direction will be set by the Technology Council, led primarily by OW2 members, and the MarCom Council, led primarily by OSA members. Activities and local collaborations among members will be facilitated by local chapters in North America, Europe, China and Brazil.