Here at Compucorp we are believers in the value of open source solutions. But what does open source really mean, and how can you use it to maximise your return from your IT investment?
A definition of open source: (Wikipedia.org - the open encyclopedia)
’The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials.
Open-source software (OSS) is computer software that is available in source code form for which the source code and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright holders are provided under a software license that permits users to study, change, improve and at times also to distribute the software.'
In 2010, Gartner estimates that open source is included in at least 75% of Global 2000 enterprises.
Advantages of open source
In selecting a product which is provided open source, the customer can realise many benefits:
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The customer may add, modify and improve their solution themselves or employ alternative vendors to expand solution. As such this will remove vendor lock in.
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The market for development services is therefore competitive driving down future cost.
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Removal of licensing restrictions ensures future expansion of system can be delivered without additional cost (i.e. for user licenses or more powerful hardware).
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Free access to new versions and software upgrades.
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A more diverse array of upgrades and modules are available as provided by a large community of developers rather than a single organisation.