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Loopfuse and Acquia have announced the availability of the Loopfuse Integration module for Drupal. The module links Drupal installations to the commercial Loopfuse OneView automated marketing product. The module, funded by Acquia and Loopfuse, was developed to connect the Acquia website to OneView, and has been donated to the Drupal community and is available to download at Drupal.org.

It's a good day for those running more than one open-source application in-house, particularly if you're into Zimbra (email), SugarCRM (CRM), Loopfuse (marketing automation), or Acquia (Drupal-based content management company). I've long felt that open-source integration is best done in cases of mutual self-interest, and not by committee fiat.

First, Loopfuse-plus-Acquia/Drupal:

While blogging platforms like WordPress and Movable Type have considerable name recognition among Web users, few outside the development community know about this flexible and open-source content management system Drupal, which powers sites like Sony BMG's Myplay, PopSci.com, and the Web 2.0 blog Center Networks.

Dries Buytaert started down his path to fame when he coded up a private message board for his college dormitory. Nine years later, that modest bulletin board software package has grown into Drupal, one of the most popular open-source content publishing systems on the web with thousands of active contributors. In March 2008, Buytaert connected with entrepreneur Jay Batson, and together the two of them founded Acquia, a commercial venture that will provide technical support for Drupal’s devotees as well as further the adoption and development of the platform.

Acquia presented at the Enterprise 2.0 conference in Boston last week, and Jeff Whatcott, who manned the Acquia stand, writes in a blog entry that most of the corporate types swinging past his booth had no idea what Drupal was.

Many companies are now looking to build communities outside the firewall to engage customers, suppliers, and prospects, as well as create communities inside the enterprise to engage employees on key topics. I have written about several new approaches to supporting communities on this blog and Fast Forward. Drupal has been around a long time in web years as a community platform. I first heard about it in 2004. Acquia was recently formed to make Drupal more accessible and provide professional support.

Savio Rodrigues of InfoWorld tries to parse what makes open-source buyers tick, and how to generate more of them. In so doing, he suggests that the real battleground is over those enterprises with both money and expertise to go it alone with open-source software (so-called "Category B" customers).

Why should they bother buying support when they can self-support?

Acquia, Drupal founder Dries Buytaert’s new company, took to the stage last Thursday at the Launch Pad session at the web 2.0 Expo in SF. Although they didn’t win the people’s choice for best startup (this honor went to Triggit), their soon to be released Carbon and Spokes programs are still plenty enticing.

What is Carbon?

Earlier this afternoon, six startups had five minutes each to present their wares onstage to a panel of VCs and an audience at the Web 2.0 Expo Launch Pad. Panelists gave feedback to the companies in real-time, and depending on how well they did, had the option to “offer these applicants non-binding term sheets for financing”.

As I've said previously, the Web 2.0 Expo show features a lot of products for developers. But there are still cool new Web apps to find--especially at the Launch Pad, a rapid-fire demo session featuring six relatively new companies. It's kind of like a mini-Demo.

Acquia sells a commercialized version of Drupal, the open-source content management (and Webware 100 winner). If you buy the open-to-commercial model, as executed by RedHat (Linux), and Trixbox (Asterisk), this business makes a lot of sense. I'm glad to see the platform get some business attention.