 |
|
   
|
|
|
|
Nikos Drakos, Gartner research director |
|
|
|
Open Source in the Running for 30 Percent of New Systems
Monday, 10 March 2003
As the myths about open-source software are dispelled, companies will be considering open-source options for 30 percent of new systems through 2004.
This is the verdict of Gartner research director Nikos Drakos. Speaking at Symposium/ITxpo 2003, in Florence, Italy, on Monday, he recommends that companies seek out and identify projects that will benefit from exposure to open source processes.
"Open source is part hype, part social and political movement, part licensing definition and part development model," he says. Companies should learn to recognize when opponents are scaremongering and when supporters are exaggerating.
The realities, he says, are simple:
Open-source licenses do not prohibit commercial activity
Open-source software has been available for more than 20 years
Most popular, open-source systems are tightly controlled by their key developers
Open-source projects are generally supported long after the original leaders have left as the source code is available for other teams.
Linux remains the classic example of open-source software. Gartner reckons three-quarters of all large enterprises use Linux somewhere, typically supporting network functions or file and print services. Drakos says these users should review attitudes and policies surrounding Linux. By 2005-2007, they should probably be considering using Linux in more critical applications.
When evaluating open-source software, companies need to answer some unfamiliar questions:
What is the ownership model?
Who are the lead contributors, and what are their pedigree and status?
How large is the wider community of developers?
Can users and developers share contributions to future releases and if so, how?
Do automated processes support the collection, organization and status-tracking of bug reports, suggestions and contributed code?
Drakos reassures companies that "bugs are generally viewed as shallow phenomena" in the open-source community because they quickly yield up their secrets under the scrutiny of a thousand co-developers."
As the value of open-source software becomes accepted, companies need to draw up proper guidelines and policies to cover its introduction, deployment, support and maintenance. That will mean having different policies for different contexts.
If nothing else, Drakos suggests, IS groups should consider using Linux to improve their bargaining positions when discussing license fees.
David Seabrook
Gartner Staff
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
