I am now sitting in the Qantas lounge of Melbourne airport. I just delivered (about an hour and a half ago) the workshop presentation on Open Source Software. Overall I think it went fairly well, although the final measure is how the participants felt it went. A pity about the smaller number. I am also concerned that we identified far more issues and risks around open source software than perhaps we needed to, although it is clear that any organisation that is risk averse and considering the introduction of open source software, in a world where everything works and is stable, is going to have to be careful about moving their infrastructure from one software base to another.Â
The main point of the presentation was to consider the issues and understand your business’ strategic direction with information systems if you decide to use open source. I think open source presents unique, but not unsurmountable, issues for the business, and some real issues. Our conclusions today lead one to think that perhaps though these opportunities are more back-office and commercially focussed, for most businesses, than in the front office – looking at today.Â
Putting the hat on for five years from now? Who knows, perhaps we won’t know or care where our software comes from – perhaps it will mostly be web-based (a la Google’s takeover of Writely) and the world will move away from Vista and its thick-client cohorts.Â
Well, I’m about to board. I wonder if any of the participants at today’s workshop will stop by to leave comments. I will upload the presentation and workbook later tonight as a PDF (when I get home about 10.30pm <groan> – a bit late after a 5.30am start this morning).