Views on Open Source

With the growing usage of open sources, and the clients asking for more solutions on open source products, it looks like open source is going to be the buzz word.

Major benefits of using open source, as seen from a distance are:
1. Cost benefit. Clients don't have to pay hefty amount for the licenses but have to pay for the maintenance
2. Time saving
3. Free to change and add the new features

And the tricky points of using an Open source are:
1. The bugs found may not be fixed quickly. You never know the time when the next release is coming
2. Quality of the product may not be very good as most often it's developed by a group of individuals with individual thought process than a collective one.
3. If the Open Source prodcut is not yet bought by any company, then there could be no support, especially at critical stages of development


A few points to keep in mind about Open source products are:
1. Open source is a strategy to eventually be bought by a company! The client who has started building the system on open source will be forced to purchase the products negating the first benefit, he was looking for. (In this case, it might be only the Suppot cost)
2. Heavy systems, which integrate with so many applications, and it's risky to go for open source for one or two applications and loose out on many things
3. You never know when an Open source product looses it's shine and stops to grow further

With all these analysis, Open source can be used for benefit. But that will be in the following scenario's:
1. When a company is looking for a shift in technology or architecture, they can do a PoC with the open source products, study the feasibility and then invest in the similar products.
2. When the Top Management is of doubt about a new concept to venture, Open source can be used to prove it's abilities.
3. Can be used for work-around and quick solutions while the actual one is being developed