An increasing number of open source applications are appearing in the software market, and are powering both vital government and high-volume consumer systems.
According to a report by IT services company Computer Sciences Corporation`s (CSC`s) Leading Edge Forum (LEF), titled Open Source: Open for Business, the lure of open source is cost-reduction.
"Anyone can use or modify it without licence fees and no vendor can lock users in for fixes or enhancements. Considering that office suite software can cost roughly $300 [R1 800] per seat - or $3 million [R18 million] in an organisation of 10 000 people - the savings can be significant," the international report reads.
Linux and other open source software are being used in smart phones and personal digital assistants, it continues. Linux is also deployed in the digital video recording device, TiVo, which is used by more than a million subscribers.
More than Linux
There is a perception that open source automatically means Linux, when in reality Linux only comprises a portion of what open source has to offer, the report reads.
The open source Apache Web server powers 68% of Web servers worldwide, according to UK Internet services company Netcraft.
"Many of the open source products challenge the desktop hegemony of Microsoft, which currently owns most of the PC operating system and office suite markets. Linux has put pressure on Windows, which has more than 90% of the PC market," says the report.
Meanwhile, OpenOffice has climbed to a 14% share of the large enterprise office systems market. The report does concede that Microsoft still controls around 93% of the overall office market. "It is a David and Goliath story, to be sure, but David is getting stronger."
The report affirms that the open source/proprietary debate should not be viewed as an 'either or` situation. There is plenty of good proprietary software that can and should be deployed, while open source presents another option that organisations need to consider, it states.
The downside
The report also offers detailed information about potential problems inherent with open source software. "What a company saves in licence fees may be offset by increased technical support, training and transition-related costs.
"The cost and disruption incurred by a company when switching from its current application packages to open source alternatives may also be prohibitive."
Many people are still hesitant to trust the support offered by the open source community and opt to seek out established companies, says CSC LEF VP Bill Koff. "Organisations using open source software will seek a trusted intermediary because they want accountability.
"It is legitimate from a management perspective to have someone to blame for software problems you cannot or do not want to solve. Service providers like CSC could play a role as the trusted intermediary for open source because providing IT service and support is their primary business," he concludes.
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