Interesting Report... Open Source in the Enterprise - An O'Reilly Radar Report by Bernard Golden
Category O'Reilly Radar Report Open Source in the Enterprise Bernard Golden
I had the opportunity to read Open Source in the Enterprise - An O'Reilly Radar Report by Bernard Golden from O'Reilly Publishing. For those of us who are on the front lines of IT, using open source software usually isn't something we think twice about. But in the enterprise, there is still a considerable amount of confusion and fear behind the concept. Organizations like to have a vendor from which they can buy and obtain support. And while there are plenty of companies that offer support options for open source packages, the common scenario is to download it for free from a site like SourceForge, install it, and then use peer-driven support mechanisms (like discussion forums) to answer questions. This report breaks down enterprise-level open source software into six characteristics and six core drivers behind open source adoption. The bulk of the report then takes each of the drivers and discusses them in deeper detail
What I most appreciated about this report was the bent toward real-world situations and applicability. The core drivers are logical and obvious, and they truly are the things that the business needs to consider. But each of these chapters also contains a cross-reference to what characteristics of open source address this driver. From there, you get a real-life case study of a business addressing a need by using an open source package, a list of best practices, and a list of issues that come along with the benefits. It's very easy to paint open source as a panacea for all your IT troubles, but realistically there are issues that, if not addressed, may well make the situation even worse than it was with proprietary software.
I see this as a perfect paper for architects and senior management in an IT department who are struggling with the concept of open source adoption. It's practical, balanced, and speaks at a level that doesn't rule out all but the IT geeks of the world.
I had the opportunity to read Open Source in the Enterprise - An O'Reilly Radar Report by Bernard Golden from O'Reilly Publishing. For those of us who are on the front lines of IT, using open source software usually isn't something we think twice about. But in the enterprise, there is still a considerable amount of confusion and fear behind the concept. Organizations like to have a vendor from which they can buy and obtain support. And while there are plenty of companies that offer support options for open source packages, the common scenario is to download it for free from a site like SourceForge, install it, and then use peer-driven support mechanisms (like discussion forums) to answer questions. This report breaks down enterprise-level open source software into six characteristics and six core drivers behind open source adoption. The bulk of the report then takes each of the drivers and discusses them in deeper detail
What I most appreciated about this report was the bent toward real-world situations and applicability. The core drivers are logical and obvious, and they truly are the things that the business needs to consider. But each of these chapters also contains a cross-reference to what characteristics of open source address this driver. From there, you get a real-life case study of a business addressing a need by using an open source package, a list of best practices, and a list of issues that come along with the benefits. It's very easy to paint open source as a panacea for all your IT troubles, but realistically there are issues that, if not addressed, may well make the situation even worse than it was with proprietary software.
I see this as a perfect paper for architects and senior management in an IT department who are struggling with the concept of open source adoption. It's practical, balanced, and speaks at a level that doesn't rule out all but the IT geeks of the world.
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