Open Source for the Enterprise

Customer Reviews

• A methodical look into the realities of open source software use.  Nov 13, 2005 (6 of 6 found this helpful)

  "Open Source for the Enterprise" is a well thought out and methodical look into the realities of open source software use. This is a practical guide for navigating its introduction into an organization and the approaches for properly evaluating its fit and governance. The authors provide a set of strategies and artifacts for helping to establish and communicate whether or not open source software would be effective within an organization. Topics such as comparing and assuming risk; evaluating the costs and return; adoption and governance; indemnification and licensing are all covered very well. The last quarter of the book provides a topical look at common open source platforms for desktop solutions, email, collaboration, content management, and application development. While the coverage presented is not inclusive of the entire offerings available, the preeminent projects for each category are evaluated.
  
  I enjoyed this book. I reveled when reading the authors' analogy of an architect approaching management about starting an open source software initiative to that of a child asking a parent for a puppy. This was presented during the subject of "Preventing an Open Source Nightmare". This section threw some reality into my fervor for evangelizing open source within my own company and drove home the authors' point that reckless enthusiasm is not the way. I believe that anyone considering the use of open source platforms, tools, or end-user applications within their organization would be well-served by reading this text cover-to-cover.

• A rational approach to open source adoption...  Sep 5, 2005 (5 of 5 found this helpful)

  All too often, the discussion about using open source software in an organization takes on an emotional or political tone. And since most information about open source decisions tends to feed that emotion, it's nice to find a book that tries to look at the subject from a rational perspective. This book does a very good job of that... Open Source For The Enterprise by Dan Woods and Gautam Guliani.
  
  Contents: The Nature of Open Source; Measuring the Maturity of Open Source; The Open Source Skill Set; Making the ROI Case; Designing an Open Source Strategy; Support Models for Open Source; Making Open Source Projects Easy to Adopt; A Comparison of Open Source Licenses; Open Source Under Attack; Open Source Empowerment; The Open Source Platform; End-User Computing and the Desktop; Open Source and Email; Groupware, Portals, and Collaboration; Web Publishing and Content Management; Application Development; Index
  
  As I stated above, open source technology books (covering the topic as a whole, not individual projects) tend to be "rah-rah" in nature, pitting the plucky open source alternatives against the big evil proprietary software companies. While I may just happen to lean in that direction, it's not very helpful if you're trying to make a solid business case for adopting a corporate open source strategy. You need to concentrate on risks, financial return on investment, support issues, and all the other things that apply to *any* software used in your organization. Woods and Guliani do a very good job in aiming for, and hitting, that target. While they believe in the promise of open source, they give the reader some solid tools to judge whether a particular open source alternative is worthy to explore. For instance, some open source projects take off and soar, while others languish with no activity after a few months. By checking release levels, discussion boards, documentation quality, etc., you can mitigate the risk of committing to a project that doesn't continue to grow. Conversely, if you find a project that addresses a need but may not be overly active, they provide guidance on what type of skill base you'll need to have or acquire to take the development in house.
  
  Open Source For The Enterprise is one of those books that you should see in a number of organizations, helping management and techies come together to make rational business decisions that benefit the company and not someone's resume. Very good material...

• Excellent resource for the open source developer  Aug 26, 2005 (6 of 7 found this helpful)

  This is an excellent introduction to managing and developing open source project, as well as for judging the health of projects you would like to use in the enterprise. The text is well written and engaging. There is management level material here on risk analysis, project management and methods for evaluating open source projects.

• OPEN SESAME  Sep 5, 2005 (3 of 4 found this helpful)

  Using open source is profoundly exciting to everyone involved in the process. That's one of its problems. Authors Dan Woods and Gautam Guliani have done an outstanding job of writing the perfect guide that will make open source work for you.
  
  Woods and Guliani begin by explaining the origins, evolution and life cycle of open source; and, evaluating its potential benefits for the enterprise. Next, the authors show you how to determine the quality of an open source project; and, whether it is right for your company. Then, they present an analysis of the knowledge required to effectively implement open source; and, discuss how an enterprise can build skills from within. Woods and Guliani continue by showing you how to calculate the return on investment of open source; and, make a compelling case to management. In addition, the authors next explore a low-risk plan for adopting and applying open source. They also examine where to find help in implementing open source projects; and, how to evaluate competing offers. The authors next show you how to close the productization gap; and, expand the opportunities for open source deployment. Next, the authors discuss the legal underpinnings of open source licensing, with evaluations of GPL, Copyleft, LGPL, BSD and others. Woods and Guliani continue by examining FUD, the legal challenges being mounted against open source, and how an enterprise can manage the risks involved. Finally, they cover build versus buy, the middle road less taken, and how using open source will change your IT department for the better.
  
  With the preceding in mind, the authors have done an excellent job of designing an open source book that shows you how to get it right through prudence, patience, and a methodical search for risks and ways to remedy them. At the end of the day, open source should play some role in most IT departments, including yours.