There’s a lot of buzz around open source software, with proponents advocating its merits and slating developers who keep their software and the code that makes it work close to their chests. For the real technophobes out there, open source software is geek-speak for packages that are not only freely available, but also allow access to their programming code so that other developers can improve on the functionality of the software and distribute modified versions of it. For many applications, open source software can do the job as well, if not better than its pricey counterparts. That said, there are a number of factors that should be taken into account before you get out there and book the venue for the fabulous commitment ceremony that you and your open source software have been planning.

1). Free is Not ALWAYS Better

Yes, the title of this article is indeed “5 Tips to Make Open Source Software Work for You and Your Business” but an important part of making something successful is knowing when to fight and when to quit. In the eyes of the zealots out there, I am committing a mortal sin by advocating software that, GASP, is not free and (GASP GASP) is not accompanied by the code that will allow the clever developers at Quirk (or whatever company you might work for) to make it bigger and better.

But here is a newsflash: despite what the true purists might think, delving into the realm of purchasing software that was developed by a money-grabbing corporation is not, in fact, an unforgivable infidelity. It will not doom your relationship with open source forever and incite a messy divorce in which you have to fight over who gets the MacBook. Bear in mind that there are purists out there who fly into buildings and others who believe that technological development is the work of Satan. That should give you some perspective. So when is it ok not to go the open source route? Technically, the choice is yours – but for true and faithful lovers, there are few excuses. One is a lack of skills – productivity relies on knowing when to pay someone to do something that you don’t have the abilty to do yourself. Another valid one is time; one resource that everyone is chronically short of and that may impede your desire to fiddle around trying to make code do what you want it to. Commercial software is the quickie of the techy-world, if you will. The bottom line: deadlines and inadequacy will make desperate men do desperate things, and that’s ok.    

  2). Embrace the Team Spirit of Open Source

Despite my previous allusions, the very nature of open source policy is more conducive to a group orgy than it is to a monogamous marital relationship. In this domain, sharing is caring. And I don’t mean the software. Open source software, in use and development, opens a whole can of legal and business worms that are best tackled collaboratively, by your company as a collective whole. Fumigate one room of a house and everyone knows that the sneaky little buggers will crawl out of another corner somewhere else, so it is better to solve problems in one fell swoop with everyone on board, than it is to encourage departments to manage only their own domains of concern – this will result in a world of blame and some potentially messy situations that otherwise could have been avoided altogether.

3). Keep the Legal Guys on Your Side

Open source software is all about the give and take. On that note, it looks like we’re back to the monogamous relationship analogy. But, on the subject of giving: benefiting from open source is as much about putting your own development work out there, as it is about absorbing the genius and generosity of programmers everywhere. But this is not necessarily as simple as it seems. As proud as you may be of the creativity of your developers and the gems that they produce, it is nonetheless crucial to realise that they are not legal experts and may be clueless around issues of compliance.

Getting the legal guys on your side from day one is mostly a precautionary measure; like renewing your friendship with your lawyer when embarking on a marriage to a thrice-divorced stiletto-ed supermodel. The chances are you’ll both live happily ever after in the Camps Bay Condo you bought for her as a wedding present, but on the off-chance that she sleeps with the landscaper and tries to keep the house, at least you’ll have an old friend to whom you can turn.  It's risk aversion: integrating legal advice into your open source software policy will ensure that you are up to speed with the implications of your licence choice and can devise an effective and water-tight policy that everyone involved agrees is the best way forward.

4). Use a Bottom-Up Approach

There’s a school of thought centred on the idea that the best work emerges from individuals who create for the love of it, as opposed to those who create because they are paid to do so. It’s the basis of the market economy and is based on common sense. Alas, in economics, as well as in business, the success of theory and that of implementation are worlds apart. In business, the underlings are often just that – underlings. And the problem with underlings is that often their skills and ideas remain unseen. Unfortunately, there’s a distinct possibility that these ideas are the truly great ones, borne out of a love of software development that has not yet been jaded by the prospect of wealth and financial remuneration. 

There are two solutions to this problem: the first is cultivating a culture of idea sharing in your work environment and the other is giving all of your employees the opportunity to run with ideas that have the potential to be open source masterpieces. Not only will these projects benefit the productivity and efficiency of your business, but they will up your credibility in the development world and help you to make the most of the skills at your disposal. 

5). Keep up to Date

I sense a recurring theme here: as with all things techy and development oriented, keeping up to date is crucial. Herein lies the beauty of open source software; its customisability ensures that whether its your own development or someone else’s, improvements can continually be made to ensure that it runs more smoothly, works more efficiently and has greater functionality. Whether you choose to revamp software using your own development team, or whether it’s merely downloading an update, this is a non-negotiable, like remembering your anniversary or that your life-partner has changed her hot beverage preference from cappuccinos with extra cream to black rooibos with the smallest drop of honey. A change like this one will prevent her inevitable decline into the frumpy, dissatisfied housewife you always feared she would become. Just like making sure you’re up to speed with all things open source will avert the certain death your precious development will face if you don’t improve it further or the opportunity cost you will experience as a result of not taking advantages of others’ upgrades.

On that note, go forth and share.