software for less
No need to sacrifice quality, when trying to move quickly to help desk software. The term open source is defined as “denoting software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified.” This definition can cause some to believe that open source software is not structured and potentially a “free for all.” However, in most cases, this cannot be further from the truth. What is found with many open source projects is a dedication from the community to “do the right thing.” As part of this, there are countless contributors to open source projects. This results in not only more people developing new functions and features, but also a large number of people looking for bugs in the code that have been developed and putting in more extensive testing process. The end result is of better quality.
To facilitate the prioritization and timeliness of new features and functionality, there is a need for a strong governance structure and defined standards. Ultimately, the open source model allows development of more features, enhances testing process, and offers better quality at a faster turnaround time. Flexibility and control Interoperability and customization allows for many benefits Now that we have talked about the faster, better quality, and standards aspects of open source codes, some additional benefits include flexibility and control.
From a flexibility perspective, open source allows for greater interoperability between people, companies, platforms, and data sources. Also, there is an easier ability to get started, since there would be a free version of the open source software available to use and test. Simultaneously, open source also facilitates greater control. Due to the access to the source code, customization is a welcome option. Specifically, authors of open source software have made their code available to view it, copy it, modify it, and alter it. Therefore, if there are changes required to support your business or your specific use case, changes can be made to accommodate.
As part of this, security and auditability are two other least-quoted benefits. With the community aspect of open source, security vulnerabilities are essentially identified and remediated, such as code bugs. So, with the volume of contributors and the validation as well as testing efforts, there is a far more solid product. Along the same lines, open source makes auditability a non-issue. Specifically, this is due to any concerns around security or adherence, which are easy to review and validate.
Finally, from a business perspective, especially when it comes to large enterprises, the thought of open source can raise concerns around supportability. However, while open source does provide a lot of flexibility, there are also opportunities for supportability. For instance, while OpenStack® is open source, HPE provides support through a subscription model for HPE Helion OpenStack. However, if an organization would like to use the free version (community edition), it can be accessed at HPE Helion OpenStack Community version or through the OpenStack community
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