Running Only on Open-Source Software - Price and Advice (
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Buying and Managing Closed Source Would Cost More
"Building a Microsoft-based infrastructure to replicate what we do with
open source would double the cost of new hires' desktops, and spending a lot
more each year in various licensing costs," Ritter said. "Using
Solaris instead might not require additional personnel -- but Solaris is almost
open source these days."
Additionally, said Ritter, "Using Windows require hiring at least one more
IT staffer, doubling our admin costs. Windows would require a comparable level
of expertise to what we currently have, but would mean a larger
workload. We're in a stage where we have tools that automate a lot of the
system and network admin jobs, so we don't need a person to do repetitive work.
Automation tools for Microsoft environments are poorly and often inconsistently
documented."
Is the open-source software that Smartleaf uses more reliable, secure and
better maintained that comparable closed-source software?
"We believe that our open-source software is more reliable and secure
and maintained," Ritter said. But, he acknowledged, "We have no
proof other than how much it takes to manage our Windows systems. I have lots
of anecdotal evidence, but no hard figures."
Advice for Companies Considering Open Source
For IT that's considering open source, Ritter offered the following advice:
"Start slowly. On desktops, try using Firefox as your Web browser and
Thunderbird as your e-mail client. Within IT, try working with open-source
projects that work on Windows, like using the Apache Web server instead of
Microsoft IIS."
Linux and open source often get their start in an organization's IT
unofficially, Ritter acknowledged. "It's easier to get a local mail server
made from an old desktop plus Linux than to request new funds for fresh
hardware and a Microsoft Exchange license."
Ritter offered the following advice regarding how to select which open-source
software to use: "The most important factor in evaluating a new
project -- meaning new to you, not necessarily software that's new -- is the
quality of the user community and the resources they make available to
you. If you're the only one using that code, it's not much different from
having the sole responsibility for an internal IT project. But if the
whole world uses a given open-source software project, that means you will have
all sorts of resources available to you."
One question many companies considering greater use of open source is whether
appropriately skilled people are available. "They are," stated
Ritter. "You have to pay them what they're worth, and write a job ad
which is appealing to a career Unix admin type."
What would that ad say?
"It would start with 'control your destiny -- of the company and
career, in terms of using software which is modular, replaceable, has well
defined APIs and large communities of support behind it,'" Ritter said.
