Upcoming Industry Talk on Product Roadmap Decisions by Matthew Richards of ownCloud

We will host an open questions and answers session on “Product Roadmap Decisions” in PROD, our product management course.

  • by: Matthew Richards of ownCloud
  • about: Product Roadmap Decisions
  • on: 2015-19-05, Tuesday, 14:00 – 17:00
  • at: Cauerstr. 7, Room 0.154-115
  • as part of: PROD

Abstract: ownCloud, a Nuremberg-based enterprise software startup collaborating with our research group, provides enterprise file sync and share (EFSS) software to medium and large businesses. ownCloud is based on an open source project of the same name, and boasts more than 2 million users worldwide. With roughly 6 million downloads last year and a place in the top 25 open source projects globally, ownCloud is the most downloaded open source project for file, sync and share. This talk will start with an introduction to ownCloud and the overall market before discussing the role of product management in this software startup. The second part of the talk will provide insight into product roadmap decisions, and in particular the balance between tactical and strategic decisions regarding Universal File Access (UFA) via ownCloud – which enables owncloud to connect to various back-end data sources, such as Microsoft SharePoint, Windows network drive, FTP servers and more.

Speaker: Matthew Richards is a product manager with more than 18 years’ experience working across sectors to deliver products and services that meet market and customer demand. During that time he helped dozens of companies create and execute technology strategies, design and implement new software systems, and commercialize new software products. Prior to joining ownCloud, he launched Agile Cloud Solutions for CA Technologies, and commercialized SUSE Studio for the SUSE Linux Enterprise business at Novell. He is currently responsible for all aspects of ownCloud marketing and product management, including product vision, strategy, roadmaps, features and functions. Matthew has degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Dartmouth College and an MBA in New Product and Venture Development from MIT.