Open Source Support: When Should You Go Commercial?

"These days we can assume that most large enterprises have some sort of open source software presence in the data center. Whether it is racks full of Linux servers, a few contrasting Linux instances, or even just Apache running on Windows, open source is prevalent. So what happens when you need help with open source software? Not just simple configuration issues but problems like, 'it doesn't work as documented' and true bugs that bite. There are options, but are they worth it?

"First, let me clarify. Commercial (closed source) software support is neither better nor worse. The open source 'community,' a.k.a. forums and mailing lists, is credited for much of the strength of open source..."

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