Some things are too coincidental to be a coincidence.
-Yogi Berra
I received an message the other day which read as follows:
Given I’m getting blitzed with Kuali Days specials, as I’m sure you are, I’m wondering – Is there any way to get an honest number of attendees?
I don’t really know much about the attendance (or lack thereof) at Kuali Days 2015 but I thought it a coincidence that shortly after getting that question I also received a message (see below) and subsequent confirmations which may be the most significant news in the 14ish month transition of the non profit Kuali to the commercial firm KualiCo (which now seems to be calling itself Kuali again).
The University of Maryland dropped off the Kuali Student project.
This is in sharp contrast to last years announcement about their $500,000 Kuali Student investment (see above) and is essentially a “No confidence vote” by the biggest supporter of KualiCo, UMD College Park. That also means there are no U.S. institutions left as Kuali Student partners (U of Hawaii is listed but is not a full partner in the project). Although other institutions are listed on the Kuali Student project page, there has been no announcement of those higher education institutions making commitments or writing checks. Kuali Student Project was the centerpiece of the Kuali to KauliCo transition.
Given their Kuali Days 2014 commitment to a concept called patient capital in which they would rely on “other people’s money” to finance their start up this has to be a huge blow. I don’t really have time to look at this in depth right now, but I have been communicating with others and expect to have an analysis posted as my academic duties permit, hopefully in the next week.
In terms of the original question at the beginning … Kuali Days 2015 attendance in Austin Texas? in 2013 they had 900 attendees. Last year there were 730 attendees. Not counting the 30ish KualiCo the large contingent from Indiana University they will be lucky to get less than half of that total.
If their largest financial contributor, the University of Maryland, for their centerpiece student project is gone and I am right on the conference numbers, the real theme and conversation for the Kuali Days 2015 attendees will likely be:
Austin we have a problem
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October 13, 2015 | Filed under: ERP, Kuali, open source, Software and tagged with: 2015, ERP, Financial Support, Kuali, Maryland,open source
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