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"My one cent worth on open source software......
Open source software is not really free as Matt said. The cost of free
open source software is migration, maintenance and reliability issues.
That is why it is currently used mostly for running non-critical or
highly expensive infrastructure (which require less reliability). So it
remains largely with enthusiasts and much of the commercial use is found
to be delivering non critical web content, internet services and other
non critical internet-related services. These are only the areas where
level of reliability of free open source software is good enough to be
used. Where more reliable services are required, it is more of Unix
flavours which are more often used than Linux. There are plenty of GUI's
which work well with Unix or any Linux versions used at the backend. So
the most used server have Unix/Linux flavours and destop level
softwares are either Novell or Microsoft or even legacy DOS used in some
countries. To replace an operating system there are some main areas
whihc need first attention when migrating to open source software. Costs
include change of hardware, retraining staff, additional expert
maintenance staff, buying online support 24/7, design and
implementation of addtional redundancy to have 100% backup in case of
breakdown. This is why the Sun software (I am taking this only as a
successful business model example) with its well designed GUI has been
made free and they are selling training and support for princely sums.
Everybody has a right to make money.... Don't They? How much is the
question. The proponent of open source software does make a business
case before switching to open source and also have to keep in mind the
longevity of such change.
Availability of expertise and also cost effectively will be a major
factor in such decisions. So if anyone is a policy maker who reads this
email should do more research into such decisions regarding open software.
Also.... each flavour of Unix/Linux is different and some are more
reliable in some areas than others. This demands careful planning when
switching and planning its long time support. Each business/organisation
has different operational procedures and may need different scale of
reliability and operational flexibility in the operation of its computer
systems, which will also affect the choice of software used.
Unfortunately Microsoft has set the path for unreliable and inefficient
software writing...... Well, we shall feel this for a long time to come,
even in open source software development.
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