Open source remains one of this year's hot IT topics. Last month the government announced the formal adoption of its open source policy and strategy in a Cabinet statement declaring that the government would migrate to open source software.
Yet, if open source has a glamorised vendor-independent image, companies and organisations should scrutinise its promise and evaluate long run implications. In this evaluation process, it is important to clarify what open source is from what it is not.
"Open source is free"
Open source doesn't mean free software or shared software. Open source means the software coding is visible and consequently allows every developer to build on the system to create patches or new functionalities.
"Open source contributes to integration"
Open source is not to be confused with open standard. Open source will not necessarily contribute to better integration in companies, while open standard will. Integration depends on the shared will of software developers to rely on the same standards for formatting data and services. For instance, the unified communication platform based on open technologies developed by IBM and Cisco is a better promise of integration than plain open source software.
"Millions of users create better support"
Millions of users participating is an ideal scenario, however, there is no guarantee that they will. More importantly, the structure of free-will development and support doesn't follow a reliable framework a company can rely on. Ultimately, an enterprise with its accountability issues will either have to rely on the developer commitment to support a solution throughout its lifespan or build their own in-house development team.
I strongly believe that among all open technologies, open standard holds the most promise for the enterprise. By creating seamless integration, open standard facilitates collaborative working, within the organisation itself, as well as with other partners. It also prevents costly replacement of old software or emulations when a company decides to modernise parts of its IT infrastructure.
In its announcement last month, the government also stated that all new software developed for, or by government will be based on open standard. We congratulate them for this excellent initiative.
For more information, contact EOH on (011) 607 8100 or visit www.eoh.co.za.
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