Open source software is generally written by good software developers not by good marketers. It differs from proprietary software in two ways:

• its source code is available for anyone to see and modify, but you don't need to be a programmer to use it,
• it isn't backed by a huge marketing budget.

Noteworthy examples of open source include the Linux operating system, market leading Apache web server, and the increasingly popular Mozilla Firefox web browser. Open source software has been quietly taking a commanding position in businesses and organisations worldwide. This column aims to reveal the extent of this shift, and to describe some of the compelling business cases driving it.

Kiwi businesses are increasingly choosing open source solutions for their network servers. A server running Linux and an array of open source applications is a superb choice for any company, offering compelling commercial advantages:

• low initial cost
• lower ongoing costs
• better security
• reduced risk
• unhindered growth opportunities

Low Initial Cost

Linux makes extremely efficient use of server hardware - a business with up to 50 workstations - Windows, Mac, or Linux - can be well served by a $1000 entry-level server. A Linux server performs all the tasks a normal office requires using only open source software - that means no software license fees or per-seat Client Access Licenses (CALs). This is of particular interest to businesses with lots of users.

Lower Ongoing Costs

Because of its design and superior code quality, Linux servers are robust and secure, translating to lower maintenance costs. We routinely see up-times of hundreds of days - reboots are almost never required. System upgrades and almost all administrative tasks can be performed remotely. Customers frequently remark at how trouble free their Linux systems are - they "just work".

Adding capabilities to your server is easy - your support providers simply download and install additional open source software: VPNs, SQL databases, anti-spam and virus filters, web servers. Adding workstations to your network doesn't require more CALs, nor systems to manage and allocate them, keeping costs down.

Better Security

Open source systems like Linux are more secure and lower risk by design. Linux uses the same security model as multi-user mainframe UNIX systems, refined and tested on networks for over 30 years. The fact that none of the hundreds of thousands of viruses currently roaming the Internet affect Linux should be proof enough of this. Linux systems also benefit from "prudent defaults" - they are born with their "hatches battened down". Only required services are opened to the world, eliminating unnecessary vulnerabilities without compromising functionality or usability.

Modular design with minimal interdependencies make Linux systems easy to secure and safe to patch in the event that security vulnerabilities are identified. Open source developers tend to be very responsive to security problems as they have no commercial interests to protect or PR spin to apply. The Ubuntu Linux distribution we deploy guarantees 5 years security update support - free of charge!

Reduced Risk

Linux offers many ways to protect your data against hardware failure and accidental deletion - software RAID, journalling filesystems, automated backups and version control are enabled on most of our deployments.

The licenses under which Linux and other open source software are released pose far less risk to businesses than proprietary software licenses. With open source, there's no risk of the BSA knocking on your door, requesting that you perform a license audit... at your cost!

Unhindered Growth Opportunities

As your business grows so do your IT requirements. Our customers are finding that servers originally intended to support 10 workstations now happily support 40. Most still aren't breaking a sweat. On the server side, this growth costs nothing except perhaps bigger hard disks.

Our customers constantly strive to improve their internal practices. Inevitably, that involves integrating disparate IT systems on a data level. Open source software bend over backwards to "play nicely" with proprietary systems as well as other open source applications by employing open standards where ever possible.

Conclusion

If you have an IT infrastructure, you can benefit from integrating open source into the mix. Many find the open source philosophy appealing, but it's the dispassionate scrutiny of serious business people that is driving its quiet ascendency. In future columns, I will describe other scenarios where businesses have found open source software to be the best solution.

This column was originally published in the February 2007 issue of The Channel magazine. Reprinted here with permission. PDF reprint available below.