“Open Source Software (OSS) should be the solution of choice
for business today but it isn’t. Why? We think the reason is
FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt). Though many would say that FUD
concerning OSS is being spread by traditional software development
firms we’re not entirely sure that that’s the case. We believe that
many companies requiring IT solutions today don’t understand how
OSS can benefit their technology programs and this needs to change.
Let’s take a simplistic look at how software acquisition decisions
are made.”
“When an enterprise has a problem requiring software the next
step usually involves an investigation of potential solutions.
These investigations usually examine a wide variety of offerings,
all of which could solve the problem and may include some testing.
A final decision will be made based upon a combination of
considerations: will it do what’s needed, how much does it cost,
and is it supported? If an OSS product is considered, this,
invariably, is where the FUD factor begins to arise….”
“Perhaps, initially, it might be useful to understand what Open
Source Software really is. The link we’ve provided leads to the
Open Source Definition. As it says, “Open source doesn’t just mean
access to the source code. The distribution terms of an open-source
program must comply with the following criteria” and it goes on to
list the criteria which define the open source model of
distribution. One of the keys to really understanding open source
is that there is a broad distinction between software which is open
source and software which is free.”