Open Source: Software as a commodity
It’s not just the obvious examples
like desktop and server software
– businesses will have to justify why
even core systems should not be
treated as commodities.
Source Initiative (1988) actively promoted both the COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE AND OPEN SOURCE PRODUCTS
rapidly-growing volume of software products and the
product commercial Open Source
methodology behind them. Software licences like the
Software Software
General Public Licence (GPL – 1989
3
) were produced to
ensure that the evolving source code remained available
Operating Microsoft GNU/Linux
for all to use – Free/Open Source Software (FOSS).
system Windows
Office Microsoft OpenOffice.org
OPEN SOURCE TODAY
Suite Office
Two decades on, FOSS has developed into a huge
international activity, producing software used by
Web Internet Firefox
Browser Explorer
individuals, companies, and governments. Much of the
internet is built on open source products - for example,
Email Outlook Evolution
more websites use the open source Apache product

client
than any other web server
4
(RBS has used open-

Table 1
source frameworks in the development of web-based
applications). On the desktop, most common commercial So, is free open source software the answer to Carr’s
software products have an open source equivalent – as challenge? An increasing number of organisations see it
illustrated in Table 1 as at least part of the answer, with particular enthusiasm
shown by governments and public administrations,
Many of the ways of working pioneered by open source where the culture is traditionally open to co-operative
developers are now accepted as best practice by the working.
commercial IT industry. Few would argue with building
software in small components to enable re-use (rather In financial services, Banco do Brasil, the largest financial
than re-invention), or using peer-group code reviews to institution in Brazil, is in the final stages of a 5 year
drive up software quality. Techniques such as Accelerated transition, replacing Microsoft Office with the open source
Solutions Delivery (ASD) are based on the principle of OpenOffice.org, saving over $6m in licence fees
5
. Banco
producing frequent small releases of software, with do Brasil is state owned, and the Brazilian government
immediate feedback from users. has a strong commitment to open source as a way of
building an indigenous software industry, eliminating the
digital divide, and cutting foreign currency expenditure.
M any of the ways of working pioneered
by open source developers are now
accepted as best practice by the
commercial IT industry
Perspectives on technology | 
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