Open to open-source

Monday, May 05, 2008

“Why doesn’t the University rely more on open-source software to develop its computer systems?”

Open-source options can and do play an important role at UW-Madison, but we are often criticized for not being “open enough” to open source. The campus IT service portfolio includes a mix of commercial and open-source solutions. Open source is not always right for the job, however.

Open source is computer software for which the human-readable source code is in the public domain or is made available under a license or other arrangement. People can use, change, and improve open-source software and redistribute it in modified or unmodified form. Open-source alternatives are often developed publicly and collaboratively and are popular in higher education, where commercial solutions don’t always match well with university needs.

It is important that we conduct appropriate due diligence by evaluating open-source and commercial options side-by-side. Evaluating our options early enough in the procurement timeline shouldn’t delay the process and might give us lower costs and better solutions. At the same time, we should realize that open source won’t always be a good fit. In either case, we will make the best decisions based on our evaluation.

Evaluations of open-source and vendor solutions should consider:

  1. Timing – What option best meets the need when we need it?
  2. Functionality – Must the solution address broad campus needs or satisfy unique needs for a unit or special situation?
  3. Engagement – For an open-source solution, is the appropriate campus, regional, or national community behind the work, so we can share the cost and risk among groups that have a common interest? For commercial solutions, is higher education a key customer?
  4. Cost – Can we achieve a sustainable cost model for the preferred solution?
  5. Risk – Open-source and proprietary vendor products have risks – just different kinds of risks. Can we appropriately analyze the risk profile for what we want to do?

There are no easy answers. As we consider each new need, we should get the right people to the table and evaluate the timing, functionality, engagement, cost, risk and all the other elements of the decision. We will always use a mix of open-source and commercial products. Let’s make sure we take advantage of both to our greatest benefit.

~Ron Kraemer, CIO