Most of us have used some type of open source software at one time or another. In fact, you just might be using an open source product to read this article. What might not be readily apparent is the growing number of robust, high-quality open source software applications available free of any license fees. But despite the numerous open source business applications available, proprietary software vendors still rule the business software market space.
So why do businesses continue to choose the more expensive proprietary software over open source applications? The reasons are not simple and might be predicated on myths and misconceptions about open source software.
This article examines the open source model, explores the basis for its slow adoption by businesses, and dispels some myths about open source.
What Is Open Source?
Open source actually describes a software development model based on distributed development and critical peer review. The promise of open source is higher quality and reliability at a lower cost.Before explaining how open source software differs from traditional proprietary software, let's define some basic terms. Developers write software using human-readable source code that is then translated or compiled into computer-readable executable code.
Proprietary software vendors only release the executable version of their software and keep the source code tightly under wraps. The vendor retains ownership rights to the software, which is protected by either copyright or patent law.
With open source software, the source code is readily available for viewing and modification by the general public under an open source license. Open source project teams typically manage and control changes to the software. However, anyone can download and modify the source code for their own use, or for distribution under an open source license.
Perhaps the most important aspect of open source software is the peer review process. An open source software project is typically reviewed by numerous skilled developers throughout the world who contribute to its development. This process can produce a higher quality product that often exceeds that of proprietary software.
In The Beginning...
The idea of free software and the open source concept has been around for a very long time. IBM began publishing source code for its operating systems and other software as early as the 50s and 60s. But it wasn't until the 80s that free software and open source really started gaining a foothold.The GNU Project was launched in 1983 with the goal of creating free software. This led to the creation of the Free Software Foundation (FSF) in 1985. It's important to note that free in this case refers to freedom of use.
In 1998, the Open Source Initiative (OSI) was founded to define and govern the open source movement. Although many people were involved with establishing the OSI, Bruce Perens is credited for creating the Open Source Definition used to determine whether software qualifies as open source.
The original browser wars over a decade ago also ignited the growth of free software under the open source umbrella. Netscape (the reigning web browser at the time) released their Navigator browser as an open source application in 1998, leading ultimately to the premier open source browser, Firefox.
The FSF and OSI both contributed to the expansive growth of free software and open source. But these organizations are not identical. While the FSF is dedicated to the freedom of using software, the OSI is dedicated to the freedom of developing software.
Applications Abound
The FSF and OSI founders and their multitude of members and contributors are largely responsible for the myriad free and open source software applications available. Today, there are open source applications for just about every need.From operating systems and web servers (Linux, Free BSD, Apache) to databases and programming languages (MySQL, PHP) to web browsers and email clients (Firefox, Thunderbird, Evolution), there are many different types of open source applications available. Let's take a look at a few of the business applications.
First is the OpenOffice productivity suite, an open source alternative to Microsoft Office. This robust open source office software suite includes word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, and databases. A commercial open source version, StarOffice , is also available from Sun. See my article on OpenOffice 3.0 for more details on this open source product.
Next, Alfresco is an open source Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system. This alternative for Microsoft SharePoint is a content platform and repository that includes features such as document management, web content management, collaboration, records management, image management, Content Management Interoperability Services (CMIS) support, and REST architecture support.
Finally, there's Openbravo ERP , an open source web-based ERP system. The Openbravo ERP solution includes many features such as business intelligence (BI), customer relationship management (CRM) and point of sales (POS). This open source ERP alternative also manages procurement, warehouse, production, sales, financial and accounting services.
There are many more open source applications in virtually every category. And more are being developed every day built upon the solid foundation of the open source community. At the end of the article are links to open source listings and directories to help you find open source applications for your specific need.
Quality, Reliability and Support
The triad of software quality, reliability and support are perhaps the biggest concerns of businesses. These concerns can be fairly complex and vary from one business to the next. In any event, they form the basis of the open source versus proprietary software controversy.Quality pertains to how well software fulfills a specific business purpose (in ITIL terms this is utility or fitness for purpose). Quality extends from the user interface look and feel, to the supported feature set, to the available options. Unfortunately, businesses generally perceive proprietary software as higher in quality than open source.
Reliability pertains to how well software performs and whether it's available when needed (what ITIL refers to as warranty or fitness for use). Reliability can refer to the stability of the software (how often it crashes) or its accessibility (can it meet the user demand).
Support is perhaps the most critical concern. Support can mean patching software flaws and fixing errors, but can also mean user training or help with implementation. When there is an issue with the software that in-house staff is unable to resolve, businesses rely on the vendor for a resolution.
Proprietary software vendors are generally regarded as more financially motivated to support their customers than open source developers. This might be true since open source developers are mainly concerned with supporting the software rather than supporting the user. Open source support is available, however, on a more informal basis from community forums that offer very effective crowd sourcing support.
Businesses wanting more formal support should consider commercial open source vendors. Since their revenues come primarily or solely from supporting their open source products, commercial open source vendors might be even more motivated to support their customers than their proprietary software counterparts.
Many businesses erroneously equate quality, reliability and support with cost or brand recognition. The more it costs or is recognized, the better the software is. Right? While this may sound absurd, some businesses actually use this criteria to select software.
The Future of Open Source
The current economy might prompt business to reconsider open source, especially commercial open source offerings. With improved quality, reliability and support, open source software might provide more value than traditional proprietary software, even for the most critical business applications.Open source might also get a boost from the growing popularity of SaaS (software as a service). By implementing open source software in their offerings, SaaS providers can provide inexpensive alternatives to proprietary based SaaS services. Only time will tell.
For a comprehensive list of open source applications, visit Open Source as Alternative, SourceForge, and the FSF Free Software Directory. On Wikipedia, see Free Alternatives to Proprietary Software and List of Commercial Open Source Applications.
By Harry Hiles, HBH Technology LLC — 08 May 2009
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