Ask a group of corporate IT leaders whether they'd rather stick their arms into a box of tarantulas or allow open source software (OSS) on their networks, and odds are most would start rolling up their sleeves.
In this security-conscious era, getting IT or business leaders to consider using OSS can be a tough sell. One of the main reasons is a perceived lack of control - or a throat to choke to put it another way. If you purchase packaged software, you know who's responsible. If you're using Microsoft Outlook and some knucklehead exploits a hole to distribute a virus to your user base, all eyes turn to Redmond for a patch. But if you're using Evolution and a similar problem occurs, to whom do you turn for a remedy? (See Myth #4 for the answer.)
One of the appeals of OSS within the open source community is that it is developed for the greater good rather than simply to make a buck. Yet this egalitarian appeal is also one of its greatest barriers to its general acceptance. In the absence of hard information, a number of myths have sprung up which make the prospect of using open source software for enterprise applications scarier than that box of tarantulas. Let's examine some of these myths (and the truths about them) in order to bring a greater understanding of OSS, and see how your organization can benefit from it.............
--
**************** *****************************
Kiggundu Mukasa # Computer Network Consultancy###
KYM-NET LTD. # Intranets & Internet Solutions#
Plot 80 Kanjokya Street
P.O. Box 24284 Kampala, Uganda
Tel: +256 77 972255
+256 71 221141
Fax: +256 31 262122
*************************************************************************
|
