Open-source software

The selection of open-source software to support digital business applications is a significant

decision for anyone managing technology infrastructure for a company. Open-source software is
now significant in many categories relevant to digital business, including operating systems,
browsers, web servers, office applications and content management systems (including blogs).

The Open Source Organisation (www.opensource.org) explains its benefits as follows: The basic idea
behind open source is very simple: When programmers can read, redis- tribute, and modify the
source code for a piece of software, the software evolves. People improve it, people adapt it, people
fix bugs. And this can happen at a speed that, if one is used to the slow pace of conventional
software development, seems astonishing.

We in the open source community have learned that this rapid evolutionary process produces better
software than the traditional closed model, in which only a very few pro- grammers can see the
source and everybody else must blindly use an opaque block of bits. Table 3.5 summarises some of
the main advantages and disadvantages of open-source software. To gain an appreciation of the
issues faced by a technical manager pondering the open-source dilemma, complete Activity 3.4.

Advantages of open-source software

Counter-argument :- 1 Effectively free to purchase Cost of migration from existing systems may be
high and will include costs of disruption and staff training

2 Lower cost of maintenance since upgrades are free There is not a specific counter-argument for
this, but see the disadvantages below

3 Increased flexibility Organisations with the resources can tailor the code. Frequent patches occur
through collaborative development Disadvantages of open-source software Counter-argument

1 Has less functionality than commercial software Simplicity leads to ease of use and fewer errors.
Many functions not used by the majority of users

2 More likely to contain bugs compared to commercial software since not tested commercially
Evidence does not seem to suggest this is the case. The modular design needed by collaborative
development enables problems to be isolated and resolved

3 Poor quality of support Organisations with the resource can fix problems themselves since they
have access to the code.

Companies such as IBM, SuSe and RedHat do offer support for Linux for a fee. Finding skilled staff for
emerging open-source technologies can be difficult.