Why Open Solutions?
So why “Open” Solutions/Systems? Well the short answer is “saving money, increasing interoperability and avoiding vendor-lockin”. So what exactly does this mean to you, the potential client and why should you or your business consider “open” solutions/systems, open-source, open-standards or Linux? First, let us begin with some definitions.
Definitions for “Open” System:
Wikipedia
“Open systems are computer systems that provide some combination of interoperability , portability , and open software standards . Although computer users today are used to a high degree of both hardware and software interoperability, prior to the year 2000 open systems could be promoted by Unix vendors as a significant competitive advantage. IBM and other companies resisted the trend for decades, exemplified by a now-famous warning in 1991 by an IBM account executive that one should be “careful about getting locked into open systems. However, in the first part of the 21st century many of these same legacy system vendors, particularly IBM and Hewlett-Packard, began to adopt Linux as part of their overall sales strategy, with “open source” marketed as trumping “open system”.”
Software Engineering Institute
An open system is characterized by the following:
* Well defined, widely used, and non-proprietary interfaces/protocols
* Use of standards, which are developed/adopted by industry recognized standards bodies
* Definition of all aspects of system interfaces to facilitate new or additional systems capabilities for a wide range of applications
* Explicit provision for expansion or upgrading through the incorporation of additional or higher performance elements with minimal impact on the system
What are the advantages to using open systems?
The commonly held beliefs about the advantages to using open systems include the following:
* Less reliance on proprietary products
* More competition leading to lower cost
* Decreased probability of schedule delay
* Better tested products (more users)
* Portable applications
* Interoperability
* Faster technology insertion
* Foundation for system evolution
What is Open-Source?
Open source describes general practices in production and development which promote access to the end product’s sources. It is regarded by some as a philosophy and by others a pragmatic methodology. Developers and producers had used many different phrases and jargon words before open source became widely adopted, as the early Internet years provided a rapid convergence of socially diverse production models. With the revolutionary increase in interactive communities and their direct involvement with the Internet, open-source software became the most prominent face of open source. Even though the Internet started in 1969 with open standards like RFCs, it wasn’t until 1998 that open source became a label applied to software to denote the same collaborative effort which began the Internet. The open source model allows for the concurrent use of different agendas and approaches in production, and it contrasts with more isolated models.
What is Linux?
Linux is an “operating system” (OS) for computers. Other popular operating systems you may have heard of would be Microsoft Windows, Unix, and Apple OS X. Because of its speed, stability and low cost, Linux became the fastest growing operating system for servers (the computers than run big companies, the Internet, large networks, etc.) Today, it is estimated that somewhere between 40-60% of all servers run on Linux! and this number continues to increase. For all the same reasons Linux has become so popular on servers, it’s now finding its way to desktop computers. There are now versions of Linux created specifically for desktop use, such as Linspire , which give you the stability and cost savings of Linux, but with the ease of a windows environment. Schools, businesses and homes are starting to migrate in large numbers to Desktop Linux, just as they have been for years on their servers. Ubuntu is another Linux distribution that is rapidly becoming one of the most popular desktop versions of Linux.
Why Linux?
Linux and open-source software are so prevalent across the globe and in so many industries that it is more relevant to ask the question, “Why NOT use Linux or open-source software?”. Given the low or non-existent acquisition costs for Linux and many other open-source products, combined with the freedom to fully customize or modify the software, some industry sectors are taking advantage of the opportunities afforded by Linux and open-source more than others. For instance, the education sector from kindergarten to post-secondary schools have been quick to take advantage of these tools to cut costs. More information on Linux and open-source in the education sector can be found in “Why Open Source In Schools? “, the Open Source Education Foundation , SchoolForge and the K12 Linux Project . A quick search of Google for “Open Source in Schools” will also return hundreds of news stories from around the world, including Canada, where Linux and other open-source software have demonstrated huge savings when successfully implemented.
The Internet itself is based on various open-source protocols and services from the Apache Web Server, BIND for Name Services, Sendmail as the primary Mail Transport Agent and even the underlying TCP/IP protocol. Numerous governments across the globe including Brazil, The Netherlands, UK, Germany, Taiwan, China, Singapore, South Africa and others have standardized on Linux and other open-source platforms. Some of the big-name companies include NASA, Google, Sony, IBM, Boeing, Merrill Lynch, Remax, People Soft, Oracle, Cisco, Amazon, Lockheed Martin, New York Stock Exchange and many more.
There is also a growing interest in using Linux on the desktop computer, and these days it’s easier than ever to try. Some people want to get more power from their desktop computer. Some are fed up with viruses, spyware, and slow, crash-prone Microsoft Windows, and some simply wish to avoid the high cost of Microsoft Windows licensing and the pain of “activation codes.” If any of this sounds familiar, perhaps it’s time for you to consider trying Linux! Chances are you’ve been using Microsoft Windows for years on your desktop computer, so why would you want to try out Linux? For lots of reasons, here are just a few…
1. Cost of the OS. Linux is only a fraction of the cost of MS Windows, especially when you consider MS Windows is sold with a per-computer license (Linux is licensed on a per-user basis). For example, if you had a computer at home, one at work, and a notebook for travel, you’d need three copies of MS Windows. MS Windows XP Home Edition is $200 ($300 for Professional Edition.) Since MS Windows requires a separate “activation code” for each of your computers, you’ve now spent $600, just for the OS. With Linux, you’ll probably spend under $50! That’s a savings of over $550!
2. Cost of the Computer. You may be thinking, “But MS Windows came free with my computer.” That’s not really the case, because the computer manufacturer pays around $100 to Microsoft for a license to include MS Windows, which then gets marked up by both the manufacturer and the retailer, so you could end up paying around $200 or more for every computer you buy if it includes MS Windows. Fortunately, due to the increasing popularity of Linux, there are manufacturers out there who will sell you a computer with Linux pre-installed instead of MS Windows, and you’ll pay significantly less for these computers. There are even some Linux computers from Wal-Mart for starting at under $300! and dozens of other computer resellers (including Open Enterprise Solutions), all over the world, who will sell you a Linux computer at a fraction of the cost of a MS Windows computer.
3. Cost of Applications. Here is where the savings really start to add-up. To get the basic Office Suite from Microsoft (word processing, spreadsheet, presentation software), you’ll spend around $500 per computer. Again, because of Microsoft’s activation codes, you’ll need one copy for each computer. That means you’ll be spending $1,500 if you have 3 computers. You can find comparable Linux Applications for under $100 (many even at no cost!), and you can use them on all three of your computers. This would be a savings of over $1,400! Open Office is one example of a powerful Office Suite which is file-compatible with Microsoft Office.
4. Total Cost of Ownership. Now, toss in support costs, other misc. applications, upgrade costs every year or two, and you start to see how you could be spending literally THOUSANDS of dollars to be using that “free” copy of MS Windows that came with your computer.
5. File compatibility. Linux will work with pretty much all the file types that are used by MS Windows.
6. Stability. Linux is well known for its amazing reliability…it just runs and runs and runs. Users often report going months without ever having rebooted their computer. MS Windows users find it difficult to even go a day without having to reset their computer.
7. Virus Protection and Security. The basic underlying architecture of Linux was designed with security in mind. The problems MS Windows has had with viruses, worms and security breaches are well known. Some versions of Linux even come with Anti-virus integrated right into the operating system for even additional protection.
8. An “Open” System. Unlike MS Windows, which has many proprietary parts that only Microsoft has access to, most parts of Linux are open, so it’s much easier for 3rd parties to develop, support and work on Linux software. Can you imagine driving a car that only the manufacturer knew how to change the oil on?
9. Linux is Fun. Because Linux is Open, you tend to have thousands of independent developers creating interesting software programs that you can run on a Linux computer, and most of these applications are much less expensive than MS Windows applications or even free.
10. Linux is Cool! Ask anyone who has used it, they have a hard time ever going back!