Free-Open Service Definition
= definition of an Open Service Network
URL = http://opendefinition.org/osd
Description
The Free/Open Service Definition (v1.0)
'The Open Service Definition defines 'open' in relation to online services.
An online service, also known under the title of Software as a Service (SaaS), is a service provided by a software application running online and making its facilities available to users over the Internet via an interface (be that HTML presented by a web-browser such as Firefox or via an API or via any other means).
Particularly noteworthy about this setup is that, in contrast to traditional software application, users no longer need to possess the software itself to use it. Instead they can simply interact via a standard client (such as web-browser) and pay, where they do pay, for use of the 'service' rather than for 'owning' (or licensing) the application itself.'
Text
The Definition
An open service is one:
1. Whose data is open as defined by the open knowledge definition (http://opendefinition.org/1.0/) with the exception that where the data is personal in nature the data need only be made available to the user (i.e. the owner of that account).
2. Whose source code is:
1. Free/Open Source Software
2. Made publicly available.'
More Information
More details and examples at http://opendefinition.org/osd