Open Source future… or just another Closed Shop?

With the economic downturn in full swing, open source is gaining popularity… but what exactly does open source mean to you?  Do today’s open source solutions hold true to the original open source ethic… and where is open source heading?

The open source movement started life with highly laudable aims – software by the people for the people – and perhaps even a bit of backlash against the IT establishment.  In the early days, there were queues of industry gurus lining up to state that Linux would never be a realistic candidate for live production environments.  Many labelled the whole concept of open source as a renegade movement that would never enter the business mainstream.  However, as Linux grew and the level of support available – from organisations such as Red Hat and SUSE – grew with it, businesses started to experiment with Linux for some of their less critical applications.  Then, having proved itself, Linux went on to be selected for some more demanding functions.

Linux grew, professional-level support services grew… and other open source offerings began to be taken up... but was something lost along the way?

Profiting from open source

Many of the support organisations that seemed to start with altruistic aims have grown into large businesses that are making substantial sums of money… and investing in slick marketing that’ll help ensure they continue to make such profits.  Of course, profit is by no means a dirty word and the fact that these organisations are enjoying success is very reassuring for any business that has committed to using Linux for live or even mission critical applications.  However, these are no longer just communities of like-minded individuals supporting each other.  These are money making organisations.  How does this measure up against the original ideals and objectives behind the open source movement?  Having offered an alternative from the established players… is open source now just a part of the establishment?

Conversely there are traditional vendors who were doing business long before the open source movement began.  Some have meandered reluctantly towards some small level of open source offering, while others have whole-heartedly made open source one of the key watchwords for their business.  Sun is one vendor that has put substantial development dollars into projects that have then been opened up to the wider community.

When open source goes mainstream

Many industry commentators now feel that open source is heading more and more into satisfying requirements in the commercial mainstream.  The rate of growth of new implementations is impressive.  In the world’s developing economies, there’s a necessity to keep a tight control on operating costs – so open source presents an opportunity that many organisations are keen to capitalise on.  However, with the current worldwide economic crisis, increasing numbers of large enterprises and public sector organisations in the developed world are looking to open source solutions in order to cut both acquisition and operating costs.  An economic downturn can do a lot to accelerate the adoption of open source solutions… worldwide.

So, today, what is true open source?  Is it the organisations that grew up around open source… is it the established vendors – some rushing into open source, some being dragged into it… is it the open source community… or is it all three?  Indeed, can open source only really move forward at a rapid pace if all three players are working to advance open source ideals?  Does this give us the best of both worlds – altruistic leanings, but with a greater level of professionalism?

How do you view open source and its future… and has your organisation seen success implementing open source solutions?