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Open source software
This month, we turn our attention to the subject of
open source software. Often free of charge, these
products seem very attractive on the surface. But is
this merely the tip of the iceberg? And if so, what
lies beneath? |
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What is Open Source software?
‘Open Source’ software is code created
collaboratively on an open platform by
contributing members of the software
community. It is intended for free
distribution to counter the proprietary
nature and high licensing costs of products
from large corporate software houses such as
Microsoft and Adobe. Famous incarnations
include the Linux operating systems and the
OpenOffice suite.
From a user perspective, Open Source
software can appear very appealing. Whilst
Microsoft Office 2007 Professional costs
almost £300.00 per license, the OpenOffice
alternative is free. Likewise, Windows
Server 2008 for 5 users costs around £900
whereas most flavours of Linux carry no
charge. So, in these straitened times, Open
Source software could seem like the perfect
way to minimise IT costs.
So why are we not all using free software on
our computers, and why are users not asking
us to investigate Open Source for their
systems?
Firstly, it is a simple case of familiarity.
Many of us have had long-term exposure to
Windows products in our homes and
businesses. We don’t like change, and it
costs time and money to train staff on new,
alien software. But OpenOffice, for example,
has many of the same tools doing the same
jobs in the same places as Microsoft Office
2003. Aside from the name, a day-to-day user
would struggle to tell the difference
between Office 2003 and the latest version
of OpenOffice and, perversely, the learning
curve for upgrading Microsoft Office 2003 to
Microsoft Office 2007 can be even steeper as
users try to get to grips with the new menu
‘ribbon’ tab system.
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There is also an issue of prejudice
at play. Open Source software is
commonly perceived to be the domain
of the geek – ugly applications with
poorly designed user interfaces that
need to be navigated using the
keyboard via commands, rather than
by the mouse and friendly icons! But
this is not always the case. Ubuntu,
an operating system much like
Windows, is routinely shipped as an
alternative on Dell computers and
laptops. Although not as ‘pretty’,
Ubuntu is as easy to navigate as
Vista and will run significantly
faster on the same hardware. |
‘Open Source’ software is code
created collaboratively on an open
platform by contributing members of
the software community. |
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With these things in mind why do we not
recommend Open Source Software to our
customers more often?
Our main concerns are always compatibility,
stability and support.
With many competing varieties of each type
of Open Source application, there is no
clear ‘front runner’ that can be used as a
standard. This often means that data
produced in one package can not be handled
by another. For instance, your database
application or accounts software may not be
available for your chosen flavour of Linux,
your CAD program may not open drawings from
your clients, or your online application may
fail due to browser incompatibilities. In
this uncertain working environment,
frustration is sure to follow as your
business asks more of your IT system.
The vast majority of Open Source
applications are mouse driven but each
interface will frequently follow different
conventions unlike most Windows-based
applications, which adhere to a very similar
look and feel making it easier for the user
to move between programs. Once you are
familiar with a package, this makes less of
a difference but finding a new member of
staff with any familiarity to your Open
Source package of choice can be very
difficult.
To combat these issues you need reliable
support. Support for Open Source is
generally provided by enthusiasts in their
spare time. When their interest dwindles,
support for an Open Source development will
dry up. There are commercial versions of
Linux and other applications available which
are supported, but these often carry licence
costs similar to their Windows equivalents.
At Delta Comtech, we have two Linux
specialists in-house but it is impossible
for us to remain familiar with every version
of Linux and every package that runs on it.
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Support for Open Source is generally
provided by enthusiasts in their
spare time. When their interest
dwindles, support for an Open Source
development will dry up. |
One of the main advantages of the
huge market share enjoyed by
Microsoft is the vast community of
highly qualified support personnel,
developers, and established software
vendors that code for the Windows
platform. This means
incompatibilities and issues are
quickly ironed out, they occur far
less often and, when a problem
arises, we as your support company
spend a lot less time chasing the
solution. This, ultimately, costs
you less. |
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Owing to the unstructured nature of most of
the Open Source developments, a large number
are still considered as beta (i.e. still in
the test phase) and this means we are very
nervous hosting critical applications on
such experimental and potentially unstable
systems.
Due to the high cost of a new server and
network installation, we have extensively
tested Open Source alternatives to our most
popular server solution, Microsoft Small
Business Server 2003, but have yet to find
anything as stable, feature-rich or flexible
that presents the client with a lower ‘Total
Cost of Ownership’. There are undoubtedly
uses for focused tailored Linux-based
services and many anti-virus and security
applications are now migrating to small
dedicated Linux servers. But in a dynamic
business environment where you never know
what the next requirement will be, a Windows
solution allows access to a significantly
larger, and more mature, pool of resources.
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Conclusion
Although the initial investment in Open
Source software may be very low - often free
of charge - the installation and ongoing
support costs are still far too high to
justify recommending it as a wholesale
alternative to the established Microsoft
juggernaut.
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For individual applications, Open
Source is great - if you can live
with the slightly odd names and
relatively unpolished presentation.
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That is not to say we should ignore it
completely. For individual applications,
Open Source is great - if you can live with
the slightly odd names and relatively
unpolished presentation. Open Office is a
realistic alternative to the expensive
Microsoft Office 2007 suite, GIMP is a great
free photo editing tool to rival the likes
of Adobe Photoshop and the Firefox browser
is a wonderful, feature-rich alternative to
Internet Explorer.
Go on, give them a try at:
http://www.openoffice.org/
http://www.gimp.org/
http://www.mozilla-europe.org/en/firefox/
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Back to main e-zine |
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Delta Comtech Ltd
Artillery House, Heapy Street
Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 7JB |
Tel:
0844 4128102
info@delta-comtech.co.uk |
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