Open data publishing is a hot global technology trend, and a business priority in government and the private sector alike. As yet undefined, though, is what exactly "open data" means in terms of business processes and technical requirements. Is it enough to simply provide a spreadsheet of data? Do you have to release an API?

In 2013, the White House released an Executive Order mandating US federal agencies to make "open and machine readable the new default for government information" and, in doing so, defined a viable framework by which any entity, commercial or governmental, can implement and measure their adherence to open data standards. The trick, then, is how to implement these standards.

Fortunately, there's DKAN, a Drupal distribution that mimics the features and API of leading open data platforms natively within the single LAMP stack of Drupal. DKAN includes a full suite of cataloging, publishing and visualization features that allows easy publication of data to the public in formats which are compliant with both the Project Open Data and DCAT Open Data specifications.

This session will review the guidelines of the White House's Open Data mandate, propose those standards as a framework for open data processes generally, and delve into how DKAN, (and the DKAN PaaS, NuData) can help meet the requirements of the mandate in a timely and cost-effective manner.