12:03:25 pm, Categories: Computers and Internet, Open Source, 695 words Posted by: Joseph A. di Paolantonio
Risks and Rewards: How Enterprises Are Adopting and Managing Open Source
Panel:
Primarily the panel discussed the policy decisions that must be made in adopting a disruptive technology, and how to assure that the chosen approach scales. The important thing to realize here is that these CIOs consider Open Source to be disruptive. In talking to sales folk for open source companies, they like to avoid the term "open source", in some cases, and focus on features and technology. But the providers must realize that the buyers, decision makers, do consider open source disruptive. To me, it's the middle choice between the traditional build vs. buy decision - but that's another post.
Legally, the lawyers simply need to understand licensing, and how that license affects or effects the use of the product in relation to your needs. There can be things buried in licenses, such as, real example "Say a prayer for my beautiful girlfriend", that the buyer may not wish to endorse. The legal counsel is not accustomed to the fact that open source licenses are non-negotiable, and the buyer becomes a second party to the license. The lawyers may need to be educated on notions of copyleft, and other provisions of open source licenses.
Any approval board must be so constructed that the board is not a bottleneck.
Open source can sneak in very easily [so did WiFi, eh?] but to keep users compliant to internal standards and architecture, IT can't impede the users trying to do their jobs. This is a people management problem that has nothing to do with open source.
Tim makes the point that open sourc software is the same as closed source software, except in one's relation to the software.
A question from the office concerning indemnification... turns out that it's not seen as much value to the CIOs, though it is an issue, but it's also an issue with closed source.
Managing open source software, again, much the same as managing any software: security impact? benefit of the upgrade? This applies to applications. Tracking and keeping abreast of framework components must be treated differently.
There is a quality assurance concept known as two-way traceability which I think is very much underused in software development and configuration control.
What happens when a community goes dormant? A point was brought up that when working with a small company, purchases often include software escrows. One value of open source, is that the code is already there. So, one of the first responses is to contact the license holder, and see why the project may have gone dormant; then determine the remediation strategy. It can range from hiring the IP holder, to reviving the community.
Security teams views of open source? They use it, no opposition. The security department assesses the risk associated with anything being brought inside. Open source should be thanked for inciting more transparency from closed source companies to help with security problems.
Given that open source allows for change and modification, are there any operational Achilles' heel and how to protect against it? Unit testing.
Tim: the biggest surprise that Tim had was the amount of heat that is generated by advocating open source; the community phenomenon is very complex and one must come far outside of one's comfort zone to understand it.
Jon: dealing with the misconceptions about open source has been difficult, though the amount of documentation and knowledge about open source is helping to dispel these; Jon recommends pushing it through the standard processes and realize the licensing differences.
whurley: recognize that you're already using open source; change the way you do business and learn from the philosophy surround open source, community development, and sharing knowledge, as well as adopting the software.
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