SMEs are discovering the cost gains to be had from deploying
open source software, but only after doing an impact analysis to
see if they can cope with the change.
Without the cash to waste on expensive and difficult to justify IT
systems, small and medium-sized enterprises have to rely on
inexpensive hardware and software. This is one of the main reasons
why open source is proving so attractive to cash-strapped
companies.
Much open source software relies on the Gnu General Public Licence.
The licence supports what open source advocate the Free Software
Foundation terms "free" software, as in freedom of intellectual
property rather than at no cost.
The licence enables companies to modify and distribute software
source code, and even to charge for the service, provided they
document the modifications, charge nothing for the licence and make
it clear that others can change and redistribute the work.
Created in 1991, the same year as the Linux operating system, the
General Public Licence has been the basis for many commercial-grade
software products since. Because open source has a technical
background, some people perceive it as being too difficult, but
small businesses that are already using it disagree.
Stephen Lockhart, IT manager for pharmaceutical development company
Strakan, has been running his office on SuSE Linux for many years.
He uses a Linux expert from a third-party services company to
manage the system, but this support is only needed for one and a
half days a week. "That shows you the reliability of this
environment," he said.
When his Boston office suffered a disc failure, he hired IBM to
repair the hardware but, rather than using a software professional
to reinstall the system, a member of staff in the Boston office
installed the SuSE program. "We did everything else over the
wires," he said.
Nigel Atkinson, managing director of open source software developer
Neoworks, explained that an entire server infrastructure can be
built using open source. The Linux operating system is freely
downloadable and freeware product Sendmail can be used for
e-mail.
Dynamic websites can be created using Apache web server backed by
the PHP scripting language, which is a good alternative to Sun's
Java Server Pages or Microsoft's Active Server Pages.
The MySQL database can be installed alongside Apache and can be
administered using free software such as PHPMyAdmin. The Unison
file synchronisation product can be used for back-up,
Open source infrastructure tools are common, but server-based open
source business applications can be harder to find. Business
accounting software for the UK market is one area where open source
is lacking, according to Malcolm Yates, strategic alliance director
at SuSE.
One of the most popular open source accounting packages, GnuCash,
is not targeted at business, although Lockhart said small companies
might be able to use it. Kroupware is another open source groupware
project which offers an alternative to commercial products.
Suppliers are also beginning to target Linux with their
applications, even if they do not all release them as open source
products.
Companies often have other server operating systems and
applications running alongside open source systems. At one level,
integration can be almost a plug-and-play process, using the Samba
tool to connect Windows PCs to Linux servers, for example.
Integrating applications may be slightly more difficult, but Robert
Neuschul, technical director of IT consultant Imagine, said it
could be done with a little programming. He said it is important to
consider the implications of open source in six months' time
"Think about what you want to do, and what you need to do," he
said. This may not always be the same thing. An impact analysis can
include issues such as training requirements and migration.
The case for open source on the desktop is far less clear than it
is on the server. Linux On the Desktop: The Whole Story, a report
from analyst group Gartner, found that the total cost of ownership
of a Linux-based desktop compared to a Windows-based systems
depends on many factors, not just the licence fee of Microsoft
software. For example, it found the total cost of ownership of a
Windows 2000 or XP desktop is less than for Windows 95 or 98.
The desktop applications a company uses will also affect migration
costs. Complex applications with specific features that a company
cannot afford to lose may have to be rewritten for Linux. However,
if the range of tasks is fairly narrow, the case for switching is
more convincing.
Sun recently announced that its open source desktop, Java Desktop,
will include Linux, along with its Staroffice suite, which competes
with Microsoft Office. Staroffice is based on the Open Office open
source desktop suite, but Sun has tweaked this to improve
integration and create a more Windows-like experience.
Sun will be charging a £60 a year licencing fee, which UK desktop
product marketing manager Tony Warner said is more of a
subscription-based model, which is what appears to be driving
people away from Microsoft towards open source systems.
Making the move to open source can bring benefits, but a proper
impact analysis is essential. This will include understanding how
open source can change applications and affect business processes.
Get it right, and you could make considerable savings.
Further reading
General Public Licence:
www.fsf.org/licenses/gpl.html
SuSE Linux:
www.suse.com/us/index.html
Sun Microsystems:
www.sun.com/index.xml
Open
Office: www.openoffice.org
Linux Professional
Institute: www.lpi.org
MySQL: www.mysql.com
PHP: www.php.net
PHPMyAdmin: www.phpmyadmin.net
Kroupware: kroupware.kde.org
Summary
- Open source is about intellectual freedom, including the
ability to tinker with the source code. It is not always "free of
charge"
- There are many open source infrastructure tools available, from
the operating system upwards. Many of them are free and are viable
for commercial purposes
- Cost savings are one of the biggest benefits of open
source
- Open source licences are less restrictive than subscription
licencing for proprietary software
- The benefits of open source on the desktop are less clear than
its benefits on the server, according to research from
Gartner.