Section 5.2.  Crafting a Strategy for Applying Open Source

5.2. Crafting a Strategy for Applying Open Source Our approach in this book has been to provide tools for thinking about the important questions involved in open source adoption. So far, we have looked at approaches for evaluating the maturity of open source, determining the skills of an IT department, and understanding the fully loaded costs of using open source. One more such tool, a taxonomy of IT systems, is required to help discover the right areas in which to apply open source. This taxonomy sorts the IT systems into three categories: stable, flexible, and dynamic. Stable systems are those for which the business requirements are well understood and are unlikely to change in any unanticipated way. A payroll system is a good example of a mission-critical stable system. Every year or so there are new tax tables, but the system doesn't need to be rewritten to accommodate them. Legacy applications that have been doing the same job for 20 years are another example of a stable system. Simple weblog analysis is yet a third example of a stable system. Flexible systems are those that are changed once every couple of years. Flexible systems are configured or customized to a small degree to solve a problem, and then they are left alone. A simple collaboration system such as a discussion forum, email list manager, or basic weblog system is a good example of a flexible system. It must be installed and then adapted to meet a need, and every so often it is reconfigured as needs change. Dynamic systems are those that are designed to support the key value-creating processes of a business. Dynamic systems are heavily customized and optimized. Dynamic systems are usually mission-critical, highly complex systems that are used to run a business. As the business's needs change, and as markets and competitors change, a dynamic system has to keep up. Frequently, dynamic systems are integrated with many different systems inside and outside the business so that the right information can be collected and used to make decisions. A high-volume e-commerce web site such as Amazon.com is one example of a dynamic system. Nike's supply-chain management application, which monitors the flow of materials to manufacturing facilities spread across the world, is another. The goal of this taxonomy is to provide an early warning system for an IT department. By thinking through potential applications of open source using this taxonomy, an IT department will be better able to avoid applying open source in areas that are beyond its skill level. The other dimension that must be considered is the importance of the system to the company. In Chapter 3, we described four categories of importance: experimental, low priority, operational, and mission critical. The nature of the benefit of using open source is indicated by the type of system to which it is applied. Using open source for stable systems will most likely be an exercise in cost reduction. A stable commercial product will be replaced with an open source version that is cheaper or easier to support. Applying open source to flexible systems is usually about expanding automation and support for business processes. Flexible systems change slowly, along with the business. Collaborative systems or systems that automate low-volume, operational processes fall into this category. The goal of applying open source to dynamic systems is to create a high-performance machine for a competitive advantage. Applying open source to dynamic systems is about controlling your own destiny in a vital area, but doing so requires the highest level of skill. Another way to evaluate open source is to look at three ways to apply it: Using open source applications will happen at all skill levels and is the broadest and most beneficial way to apply open source. Using open source as a computing platform means using infrastructure starting with Linux or other open source operating systems. Beginners and intermediates without Unix skills will find this difficult. Using open source for integration and development, to make applications work together and to create new ones, is generally too complex for beginners. Intermediates can achieve simple integration, and advanced users and experts will find the most value. Learning how to use open source and where to apply it provides an IT department with significant benefits. To manage all the risks, however, IT departments must learn how to address open source at every level of the organization.