Open Source for the Enterprise

Preface

This book is not a tirade as to why you should use open source. Rather, it is a sober reflection and a pragmatic approach to an ocean of opportunity. Companies that learn how to take advantage of open source software will have an advantage over those that do not. Information Technology (IT) departments that build the skills needed to put open source to work alongside existing systems will serve their companies better than those that do not. This book aims to be a guide to the challenges IT departments will encounter when they undertake this journey.

If this book is successful, it will transform the conversations between programmers and managers, merging the best of both perspectives. No longer will programmers and managers speak at cross purposes and argue for different values. Instead, the techniques and recommendations in this book can help them focus such conversations on the value that software can create, regardless of its origin, and how to manage the risks involved.

The fundamental problem with using open source is that it is so profoundly exciting to everyone involved. Developers see a way to keep learning and to apply their skill and craft using open source projects to build systems that solve problems in creative ways. IT management is thrilled with the possibility of cutting costs, building solutions for less, and gaining power in negotiations with vendors.

But that excitement can too easily blind otherwise sophisticated professionals to hidden costs, unacknowledged ...