Aptronics, an integrated IT service and solutions provider that assists companies migrating to an open source environment, says integrating proprietary and open source platforms is a better option than removing proprietary platforms entirely.
"Each business has their own value propositions and they should look at that," says Marius Agenbag, MD of Ubusha Technologies, a Novell Platinum Partner, which Aptronics acquired in March. "I don`t say Linux is good for all businesses, but they should figure out what their needs are and they should make their decisions based on that," he adds.
"If companies want to follow the open source software (OSS) framework, they should ensure their tools can handle proprietary solutions as well. It is important the framework should protect the current strategic solutions, and proprietary software should not necessarily be taken out, but should be integrated."
Most people think that Linux is only about cost, says Agenbag: "It is a major factor, but Linux is a little bit more about going for a clear cost route.
"The OSS idea is a framework that allows businesses to have the choice to fit in what they want. The framework allows products to become more mature and as a result, it becomes a commodity.
"One of the biggest mistakes that companies make is only looking at the cost in terms of how much they save on not paying licensing fees. They should consider what they will do with the money over the next few years and use some of the savings to re-skill employees and get outsource contracts to support their business," says Agenbag.
"There`s a role to be played by the open source community and there`s a role to be played by people developing proprietary software as a model that allows businesses to do both."
The high cost of support for Linux is due to the lack of skills development in the field, but Agenbag is confident the cost will come down in the next year as a lot of skills development is taking place.
"A few years ago, when Windows was introduced, it was the same sentiment. People felt there was a high cost of support because of the new and extra functionalities.
"A critical mass for skills needs to be developed for demand to drive that skills development. If there`s enough people that want open source, I believe the cost will equalise at some point," says Agenbag.
"The training industry around Linux in SA is very healthy, with training centres opening up in the region. The qualifications and certifications are driving the need for good quality training material. Schools are also exposing students to both platforms."
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