Open-source software/solution (OSS) has become mainstream, even among large-enterprise players who would have shied away from it in the past. But is open source right for you? (Well, it depends…is your organization are more of a “do-it-yourselfer” or a “call-the-contractor”?)
Use of OSS has increased significantly over the past several years. Some large, closed-source vendors like IBM and Microsoft have made substantial investments in this space, indicating that OSS is not only here to stay, but will almost certainly become part of the mainstream fabric of IT.
OSS leverages a community of contributors to maintain and enhance the product and is typically either free or significantly less expensive than closed-source alternatives. There are many benefits that come with OSS, including:
However, OSS also comes with some baggage that you will need to be ready for, including:
Committing to OSS requires both desire and ability to take on more work and deeper understanding of the product than closed-source alternatives. When considering whether OSS is right for your organization, consider the following home renovation analogy:
To help you make this decision, Info-Tech provides tools to help you assess your readiness for OSS. As well, Info-Tech provides unbiased software reviews for both open- and closed-source solutions in many product spaces (e.g. Talend and MuleSoft in the data integration tool space).