Book description
“Open source requires a fundamentally different operating
model in order for IT organizations to succeed. Succeeding
with Open Source is the first how-to book about selecting
open source software based on a product’s characteristics
such as quality, support, and longevity. Open source software is
here to stay. Golden provides an essential tool for evaluating its
usefulness/readiness for the corporation.”
—Martin Fink, Vice-President—Linux,
Hewlett-Packard, and author of The Business and Economics of
Linux and Open Source
“Open source software is transforming the way companies
acquire and manage software at every level, from operating systems
to applications. Today, IT managers who don’t evaluate open
source alternatives to proprietary software are doing their
companies a profound disservice. If you are involved in any aspect
of software acquisition and you aren’t intimately familiar
with how open source systems are created, documented, and
supported, you need this book. It provides you with a new framework
for assessing the maturity of open source solutions, walks you
through every step of the evaluation process, and provides vital
insights into the risks and benefits of making the open source
decision.”
—David A. Taylor, Ph.D., author of Object
Technology: A Manager’s Guide and Supply Chains: A
Manager’s Guide
“Novell, its customers, and its partners have been waiting
for something like this: a quantitative and qualitative way to
assess the strength of open source projects we hope to support or
build into our products. Golden provides a clear, concise
methodology for determining whether an open source project is
enterprise-ready and what it would take to make it so.”
—Chris Stone, Vice Chairman, Novell
“Open source software addresses many of the needs of IT
organizations. While more and more organizations are using open
source software, few understand how to evaluate it in the absence
of a parent organization. Golden provides an effective mechanism to
quickly evaluate open source software based on standard software
measures—such as quality, support, and
documentation—and to share those evaluations with other
organizations. Using Golden’s model, IT organizations can
efficiently compare proprietary solutions to open source software
solutions.”
—Stormy Peters, Open Source Program Office,
Hewlett-Packard Company
“This book contains some of the most valuable, practical
advice I have seen on how to transform the use of open source
software from an accidental process into a powerful strategy for
gaining an edge on the competition. By providing measurable
engineering and process criteria for selecting open source products
and processes, it brings open source software and methods squarely
within the fold of traditional software engineering and business
practices. I believe this book will be looked back on as an
important transition point for recognizing how open source software
can be used to promote business innovation and control
costs.”
—Terry Bollinger, IT Analyst, The MITRE Corporation,
author of “Use of Free and Open Source Software in the U.S.
Department of Defense,” and former editor of IEEE
Software magazine
“An outstanding look at how open source software can
provide both a competitive edge and significant cost savings for
any company. Required reading for any technical professional or
manager.”
—Kevin Bedell, Editor in Chief, LinuxWorld
Magazine
“This book describes a thorough and pragmatic process to
determine if/when an organization should employ open source
software in mission-critical systems. Golden’s Open Source
Maturity Model is a vital tool for planning open source
successes.”
—Craig Murphy, Chief Technology Officer, Sabre
Much like Odysseus—who had to negotiate perils between Scylla and Charybdis—IT managers face daunting challenges. On one side, there is relentless pressure to cut costs. On the other lies an unending demand for innovative solutions. However, unlike Odysseus, IT managers must not simply avoid either fate: Instead, they must fulfill both quests.
To meet these seemingly disparate goals, IT organizations are increasingly investigating the use of open source software for its cost-effectiveness and flexibility. However, myths about open source software persist—for example, that it runs only on Linux or that it is not stable enough for demanding production environments. Dispelling those myths, leading companies such as Amazon.com and Google rely on open source software, and many more companies will make the switch in the years ahead.
Succeeding with Open Source is the first book written specifically for IT managers who need to evaluate, select, and use open source software. The author begins with the fundamentals of open source solutions and how they differ greatly from commercial software. He then introduces the Open Source Maturity Model (OSMM), an invaluable resource for assessing open source products for their production readiness.
Highlights include:
Assessing open source business models
Managing risk, including licensing issues
Evaluating and selecting open source software
Locating and assessing technical support, training, and documentation resources
With the book’s fast-track summary format, readers can quickly and easily navigate the text and its real-world examples. Open source OSMM evaluation templates, as well as additional case studies, are available at www.navicasoft.com.
Whether you are an IT manager or a consultant responsible for advising clients, this book will help you steer a clear course through the open source sea.
Table of contents
- Copyright
- Praise for Succeeding with Open Source
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Overview of Open Source
-
Selecting, Assessing, and Evaluating Open Source Software
- The Open Source Maturity Model
-
The Open Source Product
- Executive Summary
- Assessing Product Maturity: The Process
- Defining Organizational Requirements
- Locating Resources
- Assessing the Functionality of the Product
- Assessing Product Longevity
- Assessing Product Quality
- Assessing the Product Team
- Assigning a Product Maturity Score
- Assessing JBoss: Product Maturity
-
Open Source Technical Support
- Executive Summary
- The Two Types of Technical Support
- Doesn't Source Availability Mean Technical Support Doesn't Matter?
- Defining Technical Support Requirements
- Locating Resources
- Community Support
- Paid Support
- Self-Support
- Assessing Technical Support Maturity
- Assigning a Technical Support Maturity Score
- Assessing JBoss: Technical Support
- Open Source Documentation
- Open Source Training
- Open Source Integration with Other Products
- Open Source Professional Services
- JBoss Open Source Maturity Model Assessment
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
Product information
- Title: Succeeding with Open Source
- Author(s):
- Release date: August 2004
- Publisher(s): Addison-Wesley Professional
- ISBN: 0321268539
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