Open Source software offers businesses many advantages, from cost savings, to increased flexibility and security. In this post, we will briefly explore some of the key benefits:
1. High value offering
Unlikely the closed approach, Open Source solutions enjoy value offerings that proprietary software providers can only dream of. Collabora Online for example traces its foundations back to 1985 (well before Microsoft Office in 1990), and in the 40 years since has been worked on and developed by countless open companies and individuals. With this open, collaborative approach, ‘sharing’ ideas and solutions, the feature set becomes broader, the integrations deeper, and the cost of development and maintenance can be greatly reduced. Furthermore, if there is a particular feature or application you would like further developed, this can be worked on in-house, or you may engage any developer you choose at competitive open-market rates.
2. Customisation and flexibility
Open Source code is accessible to modify which means users can customise the software to fit their specific needs and requirements. This level of flexibility is great for businesses to integrate into their existing systems or within other platforms to increase productivity.
3. Security
Many Open Source software projects have large communities of developers and enthusiastic beta testers who are actively working on addressing security vulnerabilities within the software. This greatly reduces response times, and issues may be discovered and fixed faster than with proprietary software. In addition, anyone can audit an open code-base, entirely removing any questionable grey areas or concerns about secret back doors. A genuine zero-trust policies is only possible with Open Source.
4. Vendor independence
Businesses are not tied to a single vendor and can choose from a variety of different software options and providers. This allows businesses to avoid vendor lock-in and the potential to be held hostage by pricing increases or discontinued support for the software.
5. Collaboration
As alluded to above, Open Source software brings collaboration among developers worldwide which is re-shared into the project allowing a collective benefit from the expertise of others. Specific integrations or more unusual features can be made available to all who are interested, removing the need of every end user to reinvent the wheel for their own solution.
6. Support
One of the often-overlooked advantages of Open Source software is the vibrant and supportive community that surrounds it. Unlike proprietary software, which may rely solely on paid support, Open Source projects benefit from a vast network of developers, users, and enthusiasts. Of course there is also the option for paid support which will benefit organisations who would like one-to-one, custom support for their specific integration.
This is just six reasons, but we’d love for you to take a look at how Collabora Online can benefit your business, from potentially thousands in cost savings to increased flexibility and security. Read more about industry specific benefits in our white paper below, or sign up for a free trial here:
