Frank Karlitschek, novelties in cloud computing and a surprise
The German, Frank Karlitschek, is known for being one of the major contributors in the free software world. Besides participating in initiatives such as the 
Open-PC and openDesktop.org network, he is the founder of ownCloud Inc, a company that delivers services in the area of cloud computing.
At Latinoware 2012, he will introduce the main trends in the sector – on which he is considered one of the greatest international experts – and even promises a surprise. What will it be? Check out our full interview:
What a student or a young entrepreneur can expect from your presentation?
I will talk about the ideas behind ownCloud and why it makes sense to free software and a free society. I will also show how to participate and also introduce a new initiative as a surprise.
What makes OwnCloud special and what made you start this project?
The problem with all other cloud storage solutions like Dropbox, Ubuntu One, Skydrive, Google drive or iCloud, is that you have to deliver your files and waive control if you want to use synchronization and sharing features. ownCloud is the only open source project that has features comparable to large proprietary ones, but that works in its own machine.
What can we expect for the next versions of ownCloud?
The last release was ownCloud 4.5, featuring a more robust and significantly faster enhanced synchronization algorithm. We also have full support for mounting Google Drive, Dropbox and FTP servers and even other ownClouds in your ownCloud, plus many resources and solutions.
Along with the Owncloud Open Source Code Project, you also have a company – Owncloud Inc. – offering Owncloud as a service. What is the business model underpinning it and how it is working so far?
The ownCloud company offers ownCloud for businesses, educational centers and service providers. Customers get services and support for ownCloud. We do the customization for them and also offer as an option the ownCloud dual license. We have seen interest greater than expected for the technology in these areas and we are growing rapidly.
