Ten essential questions you need to ask when deciding if open source fits in with your IT strategy
CIOs wrestling with fear, uncertainty, and doubt regarding the adoption of open source are wading through the rhetoric fashioned by software pundits and marketers on both the open and proprietary sides. Issues concerning maturity, cost, reliability, support/documentation, and licensing lie at the heart of the discussion. Each of these issues bears a varying degree of weight, depending on the open source initiative in question. The Linux operating systems (server and client) and the Apache Web server, for example, have achieved an anomalous level of adoption, input, testing, and documentation - and are, therefore, not accurate bellwethers for gauging the viability of all open source initiatives.
IDC treats assessing the viability of open source within a CIO's enterprise environment, first, as an internal IT operations issue. Determining viability centres on the compatibility of in-house expertise, support, and computing environment with open source.
Second, determining the compatibility of the organisation's strategic IT direction with open source centres on the functionality-versus-cost debate. Organisations requiring little software customisation may emphasise cost savings in their IT strategies - an emphasis that is inconsistent with maintaining customised open source software throughout the organisation.
Third, once an operational and strategic fit with open source is determined, the CIO's issue becomes timing of adoption. IDC believes this decision will centre on factors external to the organisation, such as availability of outside expertise, code maturity/testing, tools availability, and services support.
Armed with a Plan
The selection criteria used to assess the viability of open source within the enterprise are somewhat similar to the criteria for selecting proprietary solutions. The following list outlines question areas with which organisations may wish to assess open source for use on the desktop and within the software stack:
- Is there adequate in-house expertise to manage open source deployment, modification, and maintenance?
- How significant may limited support be for implementation and maintenance?
- How critical is potentially limited documentation to the viability of open source on the desktop or on enterprise systems?
- Compared with proprietary solutions for given requirements, are the capabilities of open source solutions better, the same, or inadequate?
- Does the usability/functionality of an open source solution reconcile with end-user needs?
- Does or will a given open source solution align with enterprise system requirements?
- What are the near- and long-term architectural and platform implications of open source?
- Within current plans and future strategy, does a given open source solution meet IT and business needs for stability, performance, and scalability?
- What are the costs associated with accommodating, administering, maintaining, etc, open source code?
- Does the licence agreement for the use, modification, and distribution of open code align with IT/business objectives and legal concerns?
- Support availability and cost
- Code maturity and testing
- Open source project milestone timeline and evolution
- Tools availability for deployment and maintenance
- Software/hardware industry acceptance/inclusion
- System integrator support/availability
For many CIOs, "it's a confidence issue", as articulated by Graham Bird of the Open Group. Gaining this confidence will involve gauging the ability of open source solutions to reconcile with multiple considerations. Determining when the time is right to adopt open source solutions will stem, in part, from external factors, including the following:
More about PeopleSoft, Open Source Initiative, Open Source Solutions, SAP, CA, Apache, Open Group, Evolve, IBM, Milestone, IDC
Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services. Achieving the impossible: Unlimited application scalability
Delivering the Power of Choice with Microsoft Dynamics CRM
Email Archiving 101—Customer Case Study
Refresh your AUP: Top tips to ensure your acceptable use policy is fit for purpose
Best Practice in Building an Integrated Information Management Strategy
Everything you need to know about email and web security (but were afraid to ask)
IT Service Management Needs and Adoption Trends: An Analysis of a Global Survey of IT Executives
Enterprise Wireless WLAN Security
- White PaperJoin industry expert Bob Spurzem and Chuck Arconi of Fox Hollow to discover how to reduce Exchange total storage and keep it at a manageable level. Learn how Exchange storage growth can be contained without sacrificing security and accessibility.
- White PaperJoin industry expert Martin Tuip to discover best practice strategy for the archival and removal of .PST files using email archiving. Learn how to ensure long-term email records are there when needed, and reduce the risk to your business and clients.
- White PaperDiscover how the integration of disparate technologies in your company can lead to greater user productivity, improved management, lower costs, higher efficiency, and easier risk mitigation.
Discover how SOA can create smarter outcomes for your business.
Attend and learn:
- How SOA is helping leading companies to become more agile
- Where you should be applying SOA processes in your company
- The top SOA implementation mistakes to avoid
Click here for more information.
- +
CIO Live Podcast #79: Brent D Taylor, author of The Outsider's Edge: The Making of Self-Made Billionaires Part II 05 October, 2007 06:00:00
For his new book, The Outsider's Edge: The Making of Self-Made Billionaires, social researcher Brent D Taylor spent four years of intensive research investigating the psychological make-up and backgrounds of some of the world's richest men and women, including IT luminaries Bill Gates, Larry Ellison and Steve Jobs. Taylor discovered that, despite working in different industries and coming from different upbringings, they all have one thing in common -- they are all outsiders. - +
CIO Live Podcast #78: Brent D Taylor, author of The Outsider's Edge: The Making of Self-Made Billionaires 28 September, 2007 17:34:25
For his new book, The Outsider's Edge: The Making of Self-Made Billionaires, social researcher Brent D Taylor spent four years of intensive research investigating the psychological make-up and backgrounds of some of the world's richest men and women, including IT luminaries Bill Gates, Larry Ellison and Steve Jobs. Taylor discovered that, despite working in different industries and coming from different upbringings, they all have one thing in common -- they are all outsiders. - +
CIO Live Podcast #77: Panasonic Speeds Up Trans-Pacific File Transfers, Part III 21 September, 2007 07:00:00
Part three in our three-part special report from CIO's sister publication Network World in the US, as Paul Desmond reports from the Network World IT Roadmap Conference in Santa Clara, California. With development teams in the US and Japan, Panasonic needed a more efficient way to move very large files between the two locations. Iben Rodriguez, IT consultant for Panasonic Research and Development, explains how a storage-area network and virtual server technology helped speed up WAN performance. - +
CIO Live Podcast #76: Panasonic Speeds Up Trans-Pacific File Transfers, Part II 14 September, 2007 07:00:00
Part two in our three-part special report from CIO's sister publication Network World in the US, as Paul Desmond reports from the Network World IT Roadmap Conference in Santa Clara, California. With development teams in the US and Japan, Panasonic needed a more efficient way to move very large files between the two locations. Iben Rodriguez, IT consultant for Panasonic Research and Development, explains how a storage-area network and virtual server technology helped speed up WAN performance. - +
CIO Live Podcast #75: Panasonic Speeds Up Trans-Pacific File Transfers, Part I 07 September, 2007 07:00:05
Part one in our three-part special report from CIO's sister publication Network World in the US, as Paul Desmond reports from the Network World IT Roadmap Conference in Santa Clara, California. With development teams in the US and Japan, Panasonic needed a more efficient way to move very large files between the two locations. Iben Rodriguez, IT consultant for Panasonic Research and Development, explains how a storage-area network and virtual server technology helped speed up WAN performance.
- +
Virtually every Windows PC at risk, says Secunia 04 December, 2008 08:00:00
Almost all PCs scanned by patch tool have an unpatched app; 46% have 11-plus.More than 98% of Windows computers harbor at least one unpatched application, and nearly half contain 11 or more programs at risk from attack, a Danish security company said Wednesday. - +
US Open used Web filtering to prevent online gambling 03 December, 2008 07:44:00
USTA took security measure to retain "squeaky clean" imageThe US Open tennis tournament provides network access for the players, guests and media, but this past summer the association running the event took an extra security step to make sure access wasn't too open. - +
CBS website bitten by iFrame hack 02 December, 2008 07:30:00
Russian malware distributors have launched another iFrame attack on a sub-domain of the cbs.com site.TV network CBS has become the latest big name to have it website used to host malware, a security company has reported. - +
Excerpt: Counterterrorism Strategies for Corporations 27 November, 2008 12:36:00
Mike Ackerman calls terrorism "the skunk at the globalization lawn party." His new book lays out 10 principles for how businesses can prepare and respond.Mike Ackerman calls terrorism "the skunk at the globalization lawn party." His new book lays out 10 principles for how businesses can prepare and respond. - +
The 10 Ackerman Principles of Counterterrorism 27 November, 2008 12:43:00
Consultant and author Mike Ackerman's 10 counterterrorism principles for business.Consultant and author Mike Ackerman's 10 counterterrorism principles for business.
Charles Sturt University Commences Unified Communications Deployment With Interactive Intelligence 04 December, 2008 08:30:00
AOC Launches 18.5” Widescreen Green 16:9 LCD Monitor in Australia and New Zealand 03 December, 2008 15:30:00
FrontRange Solutions eases software license management with new License Manager 3.0 03 December, 2008 14:56:00
Progress Software's Cure for Managing Services-based Applications 03 December, 2008 14:42:00
Informatica Powercenter added to Nec Infoframe Solution Suite 03 December, 2008 11:36:00
|
||
|
||
|
|
||
|
Dude! You Say I Need an Application-Layer Firewall?!
Proxy firewall technologies have proven time and again to be more secure than “stateful” firewalls. They will also prove to be more secure than “deep inspection” firewalls. High-performance proxy firewalls are available today which are easily capable of handling gigabit-level traffic. Discover more by reading on.
Buying Guides
Buying Guides
