The Issue:

Has Open Source finally arrived?

My Comments:

Is Open Source ready to go fulltime? Many would have a us believe that this is so. How can we find out if it is time for Open Source in our environment?

Typically the Open Source advocates point to a strong return on investment (ROI) as the main justification for going Open. Of course all the vendors can produce an ROI showing their product as delivering the best bang for the buck. A lot of times this is just window dressing so that the decision makers can justify what they want. What we need are some simpler and easier to present criteria.

I prefer to examine four areas of a proposed deployment. First, we need to look at the initial cost. Second, we need to look at the initial training costs. Third, we need to examine long-term support costs. Fourth, we need to determine its value to the organization's main business. For example, in a school we need to evaluate how much it improves learning.

This brings us to one of the truths of Open Source. Open Source is many, many products. How can we evaluate whether Open Source is ready for prime time when it includes so many products? We can't. The truth is that not all commercial software is ready and neither is all Open Source.

This changes our question. Are there some Open Source applications that are ready to go fulltime?

Well most of us can see that Open Source starts out ahead of the game with an extremely low initial cost. Although you need to be careful and watch for hidden costs, such as the need for a Linux server in an environment that does not have one. For example, a Sun, Novell, or Windows shop. Another example would be the need for a specific browser such as Firefox. This would then need to be installed on all the computers using the application. It is important to include all installation costs in the "initial" cost of the software. Many leave out the cost of labor because they are already paying those salaries - but what will you be moving back in the schedule and how do those changes affect student learning.

If the cost of a Windows package is $1000, takes 15 minutes to install on an existing server, and uses all the existing setups on workstations we have an initial cost of around $1020. If the same Open Source package is $0, takes 2 hours to install on a newly set up Linux server (using an old pc) that took two hours to set up, and requires the installation of Firefox on all the organization's 200 computers at 10 minutes each we have an initial cost of around $320 for the network admin and a technician cost of around $667. This would bring the total "initial" cost to $987.

As you can see, the hidden costs can bring the "initial" costs inline with commercial applications. You do need to note that the next Linux application would have the server already in place and that will reduce the cost. Plus, many Windows applications require an installation of some kind on the workstations also. In addition, organizations with deployment software, such as Zenworks, would have almost no costs related to installation. But this example should show that care must be taken to avoid the mistake of placing the initial cost at zero.

The second criterion is initial training costs. When examined from a user point of view these costs appear to be the same and may be. However, they usually teach Office products local junior colleges, online, and at many conferences. When examining an Open Source product we need to make sure that the same is true. If not, our training costs just moved why up.

The same applies on the technical side. How will we find training for our technical staff? Is there even any training available? If there is no training available to our technical support personnel we need to ask what the costs is for them to learn on their own. Can we afford for them to take the time out of their workday for this? When you calculate the amount of time needed to learn how to set up and maintain the product, along with the costs of incorrectly setting the product up, you may find a higher cost for the Open Source than commercial.

It is interesting that many organizations already apply these items when comparing commercial applications, but leave them out for Open Source.

Third, is long-term support for the product. When you are committing your organization to integrating a product, you need to be sure that you will continue to have that product available for a significant amount of time. This is critical in order to calculate a return on the investment.

Here there is little difference between Open Source and Commercial products. We see companies shut their doors everyday in the world. In this case Open Source may have an advantage because you have the right to modify the program yourself – if your staff is capable.

Fourth, is the value to the business. In this category both are equal. Here is where we are only looking at how it help our business or, in the case of schools, how it improves learning.

So has Open Source arrived? Yes it has, to a degree! Open Source has enough products, history, and depth that it deserves consideration with the commercial products. Lay out your process for determining the total cost of implementation and include Open Source. You may end up being pleasantly surprised. And all you Open Source advocates – don’t be afraid to use a commercial product if it comes out on top.