Open Source IT?
Like many managers, you have heard rumors and stereotypes about Open Source products. In today’s demanding business environment no one can eliminate any alternatives when cost and return on investment are guiding forces in organizational investment decisions. Could Open Source be a feasible solution for your organization?
Open Source 101
Jason McKerr, Operations Manager at Oregon State University’s Open Source Lab, defines Open Source as software that results from programmers and users (a.k.a. the “community”) working together to develop valuable and reliable products for their end users. This translates into software that is more user-friendly because in most instances the “community” creating the Open Source software is also using it. Examples of Open Source software that could provide value for end users or their companies include: database systems, personal productivity packages and statistical analysis software.
Open Source software is distributed under an agreement that lets people and companies redistribute, modify, and use the programs freely. This agreement makes software inventory audits obsolete and promotes the standardization of programs within a company. Many companies, however, have started to customize and develop more robust Open Source products, and have also begun to charge for their technical support and consulting services.
Establish Organizational Needs and Evaluating Investments
Establishing the organization’s specific needs and requirements for a software package aids in determining which software package provides the most feasible solution. McKerr provided seven evaluation criteria for software investments:
- Total Cost of Ownership
- Adequate Funding
- Necessary Training
- Estimated Product Life Cycle
- Speed of Updates and Bug-Fixes
- Level of Integration and Impacts
- Required ROI
McKerr described a conversation that highlights the evaluation process. “I was speaking with a CIO in Boston, and [management] was considering moving some of their sales people to Linux [a type of operating system] and Open Office [an office suite]. [Management] determined that moving to Linux was the expensive part [of the package], and they wanted a higher ROI.”
In the end, the CIO decided to only switch to Open Office because it fit the company’s cost and usage requirements best.
According to McKerr, by moving to Open Office for Windows this company saved $300 per user simply by purchasing Open Office instead of making a full switch to Open Source. Changing the project resulted in lower training costs for the sales department and a higher ROI for the project.
Range of Open Source Products & Industry Trends
The most popular Open Source products are Linux operating systems (Red Hat, SUSE, etc.), but other Open Source programs exist for both Windows and Linux operating systems. These programs include enterprise resource planning software and database systems, network operating applications and office suites.
The main industries fueling Open Source products are education, financial services and telecommunication. The education industry uses Linux based servers and point-of-sale software; the financial services industry uses Linux desktop operating systems; and 69% of web servers hosted by telecommunication companies use an Open Source web server called Apache.
McKerr also mentioned that, “Financial services have really led the way in Open Source deployment because they are looking for a way to save operating costs.”
As the interest in Open Source products continues to grow, McKerr expects industries will turn to Open Source products as a way to customize applications and reduce cost. However, factors such as training and implementation could make Open Source a less attractive choice for an organization.
Available Information
There is an abundant amount of information on the web about Open Source and programs that use this technology. Some suggestions when searching for information include:
- eWeek.com – Provides articles on Open Source trends and major products.
- osuosl.org – Primarily high end Open Source information with some additional services. (Oregon State University Open Source Lab)
- SourceForge.net – Excellent location to get a grasp of available Open Source products.
- possepdx.com – Local Portland professional organization that includes several consulting firms. (Portland Open Source Software Entrepreneurs)