Blog: David Loshin

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Open Source Conundrum

Even top management at open source BI companies seem to feel that the costs associated with deploying open source projects are roughly the same as going the traditional route. On the other hand, since the costs for deploying an open source solution are largely on the back-end (e.g., paying people to do things) instead of the front-end (e.g., software licensing fees), there might be a greater ability to start a BI project using open source tools than trying to justify the costs just to get to the starting gate.

However, in terms of innovation, open source projects often trail the traditional commercial tool vendors. Open source projects grow by community participation, in which lots of contributors make things happen, or through acquisition, in which components are added to the mix through negotiated deals. So while there are some benefits to starting with open source, I suspect the general process might be to migrate over time to a traditional commercial product.

Here is the challenge: I am interested in experiences using open source Business Intelligence software, good, bad, ugly, or beautiful. Feel free to email me or post directly to the blog. I am looking forward to some responses!

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