Putting the business case for open source

Major players in the computer industry - including Sun, HP and Computer Associates - are getting behind the Penguin and the open source revolution. There seems little doubt about the seriousness of the movement.

Inus Gouws, a senior information management (IM) consultant at Computer Associates Africa, looks at the business case for open source software with an emphasis on Linux.

Open source software has matured to the point where it cannot be ignored by decision-makers in business. This is endorsed by the major players in the IT arena, such as Sun, HP and Computer Associates (CA).

The open source revolution has taken root because of the business benefits associated with the software, particularly the Linux operating system.

Its value proposition - and business case - is clear: ready availability, low cost of acquisition and maintenance, and broad-based technical support. These attributes make it an attractive proposition for business professionals.

Paradoxically, one of the most significant aspects of the popularity of open source software in the business arena has little to do with traditional profit-oriented business thinking.

This is the open source community`s philosophy of the free sharing of software source code - and complementary knowledge - for the good of all like-minded people.

This represents a paradigm shift - a quantum leap - from the proprietary (non-open source) software world, where intellectual capital and source code are closely guarded secrets, available to a select few.

It is a difficult proposition for hard-nosed business people to accept. In the world in which they have been schooled, knowledge represents power and power has to be paid for.

It is also difficult to grasp because the business community is still anchored in the proprietary world, due to its dependence on non-open legacy systems that run, manage and control a sizable percentage of all business transactions today.

While open source supporters have (perhaps grudgingly) accepted the proprietary system owners` need for confidentiality and secrecy, it seems that proprietary systems supporters come yet to come to terms with the free-thinking, open minded position of their opponents.

The Linux community has taken this thinking one step further to challenge traditional business thinkers.

Can software that is freely available to all at no or very low cost be supported at no or very little cost ?

Can patches, upgrades even complete systems be available from "open source buddies" a continent or more away simply on receipt of a request via the Internet?

How is it that money seldom changes hands in these instances?

The answer to all these questions is found in the roots of open source development. Open software is "software for the people, by the people".

Interestingly, the Linux community will claim that 99% of all its software is viable and has not failed in operation. They question whether their proprietary systems counterparts can make such a statement.

When making a business case for any new proposition, its proponents are urged to "cover all the bases" and balance the rewards of the new proposal with any risks that might be associated with it.

The business case for open source software must address the negatives as well as the positives. What are they?

The business case for open source software centres on one key area: support.

It features at the top of the "positives" column because there is online support available from a variety of sources to help tailor a wide range of open source software to meet specific business needs.

Insiders say that when a problem is identified by a Linux user, within hours there could be as many as 40 000 experts from user groups around the world addressing it.

Support is also on the "negatives" side of the business proposition.

The risks associated with this support are linked to the fact that very few specialist organisations offer traditional technical support for open source solutions. While there is a growing corps of Linux-certified engineers in the marketplace, they are not very often highly visible.

There are very few "Linux toll-free" support lines, for example. Getting support requires one to be a "member of the club". However, this is changing as the open source evolution gains momentum and business maturity.

But do the rewards outweigh the risks?

As the open source crusade gains critical mass it is amassing sound business credibility in the process. Because its case is being taken up by the big names in the IT arena - such as Sun, HP and CA - there are many traditional business structures being put into place around Linux and open source software.

Is open source going commercial? This is bound to happen. The Linux visionaries are promoting their strategies for the future. Already there is a wide range of popular open source software systems - including the very latest anti-virus solutions - available for immediate download via the Internet.

And there are technical platforms available - open source database server and Web server solutions, for example. This area alone is growing at around 15% per annum and gaining momentum.

In making the business case for open source software, the "clincher" has to be performance. Because of its inherent low demand on system resources and overhead, Linux software performance is often superior to proprietary offerings running on similar environments.

The management of open source infrastructures is easier as a result, and many specialised software developers - particularly in the "big vendor" arena - are throwing their weight behind the movement and assisting with base-lining for new software systems. CA, Sun, IBM and HP are major contributors in this regard.

In SA this is already evident. The government has come out in support of open source software (Linux) and has accepted the community`s vision - its business case - for the future.

We can expect Linux technologies to assist in job creation and training programmes targeted at previously disadvantaged individuals.

The country will benefit because there will be less spending on overseas-sourced software and the average business will benefit as implementation costs to the average business - particularly as legacy hardware can more readily be used.