08/10/2012

COMMERCIAL VS OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE:THE (NOT SO) OBVIOUS CHOICE

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Introduction

Latest advancements in the information world, have led the industries in the interoperability thinking. The geospatial world is participating in this effort at full speed.

Need for open standards has risen. Ability for systems to communicate to each other is more important than ever.

Open Source software has been tagging along the open standards initiatives.

But open source software does not necessarily mean open standards.

This document discusses a few pro- open source arguments and states the facts clear.

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http://www.opengeospatial.org/

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Intergraph & OGC

Intergraph is a founding member of the OGC

Strategic Member of the OGC on a global scale: that is the highest voting membership level

This means Intergraph can influence the definition of new standards

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Argument 1 – Risk & Vendor lock-in

The argument: Open source software helps your organization reduce the investment risk and avoid vendor lock-in.

The fact: Not all vendors have lock-in software. Intergraph provides all of its software with direct, no-middleware access to your data, therefore you can replace the software at any time you want, use software from more than one vendors, even combine it with open source software. Intergraph is basing all of its next generation 2013 server software on OGC compliant functionality and web services. In fact, a lot of organizations around the world that needed OGC compliance went for an Intergraph solution.

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Argument 2 - Cost

The argument: Open source software helps your organization reduce the investment cost by getting free software.

The fact: Open source solutions seem initially cheaper, but as you go down the road and develop your solutions and expand your projects, then open source development & services end up costing much more than a commercial software that already has its own development cycle. On the long run, your organization will end up burning more funds with open source software.

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Argument 3 – Exit Costs

The argument: Open source software does not have exit costs compared to commercial software.

The fact: Exit costs from commercial software solutions only apply if you are in a lock-in situation, for example if you have a middleware between your system and your data. Intergraph provides direct access to the data through all of its software, so Intergraph software can co-exist with any other software, commercial or open source, that also provides direct access to your data and does not lock-in with middleware software or special data types.

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Argument 4 – Solution Loyalty

The argument: Open source software will get you better implementation partners.

The fact: Companies that provide open source services are more likely to change their route in the future or turn to other solutions/software for profit. Commercial software companies are committed to their software and obviously will not turn to other solutions, therefore their loyalty as partners to your organization is guaranteed.

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Benefits of Commercial Solutions VS open source

You get a partner with absolute loyalty to the solution.

Minimize the risk on the long run.

You get an efficient, tested, and working solution.

Cut down development costs.

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Benefits of Commercial Solutions

They can co-exist and work together with open source or other commercial software.

There is no lock-in.

They provide a committed and proven open standards compliance.

There are no exit costs.

No middleware between you and your data – You own your data.