A corollary to the explosion of open source within the enterprise is it's evolution as an objective. In that light, open source has evolved from remote unknown/curiosity into somewhat of a key IT objective. Still, as I see it, open source continues as a tactical concern instead of a strategic one. By that I mean, it remains a means to achieving strategic IT initiatives such as building service-oriented-architectures (SOA), bringing enterprise collaboration into play or introducing web 2.0. A reality which isn't necessarily bad/good...only indicative of an actual state of affairs.
Listed below are just some of the strategic IT initiatives that open source, as a tactical measure, fuels:
- Enterprise collaboration. Tools such as Open-Xchange and Zimbra, instant messaging platforms like Openfire and Jabber, WordPress for blogging, and TWiki and MediaWiki can help drive the mandate for increased collaboration.
- Web 2.0. Dynamic languages (PHP, Python, and Ruby) along with various open source Ajax frameworks and tools from players such as Adobe and Laszlo Systems all contribute to
- Service-oriented architecture. Open source ESBs: Mule, OpenESB, and JBoss ESB help beat a path to SOA but are also supplemented by other enabling technologies including Axis, ServiceMix and Synapse.
Moving forward, I can visualize open source emerging as a strategic interest similar to, while also remaining a tactical driver for, the aforementioned. This as firms realize the inevitability of embracing open models of interaction and the enterprise software model matures to better accommodate open styles of software development. When this occurs we'll witness more participation by organizations in open source communities, more innovative forms of internal self-support as well as bridges to and from platforms like Microsoft's .NET or SAP's ABAP. The latter as both giants also come to a better understanding of where open source fits into their respective futures.
However, before this takes place there must be more awareness of the open source that is being used on both sides of the equation. For all of the Java based shops out there, I'd be willing to guess that the majority employ at least some open source. And I'd also venture to guess that very few know just how much. Since being aware of its presence will assist in effectively leveraging a larger scope of open source software, it's critical for this to change. The same goes for those companies dealing with suppliers...how many retain disclosure from suppliers regarding the amount of open source that is being used in commercial products? Very few, most likely. This variety of information might not seem relevant but is actually useful within the context of determining the value received in exchange for commercial licenses.
Yet the question of exactly how this transition from tactical to strategic will take place, remains. From my perspective, the increased presence of open source as a tactical mandate of sorts will drive the need for stronger open source governance. Which will further implicate closer alignment of overarching IT strategies with the open source domain. Currently, this link is missing and open source fails to remain relevant from a planning or strategic perspective. All despite the fact that there is definite value to be realized through open source on both fronts. The key will be for organizations to grasp that open source can, in fact, serve as a business accelerator.