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Continued from Part One
Web services and Open Source, part two
Businesses looking to build Web services need not be tied to a single vendor or set of vendors for tools and software — and they don't have to pay exorbitant fees for the software. Instead, they can turn to Open Source software and tools. In this second part of a two-part column, we'll look at how businesses can decide whether to go with Open Source technology, or whether they'd be better off staying with big commercial software and tools providers like IBM, Microsoft, BEA, and others. And we'll look at the big and small "gotchas" they should keep in mind should they go with Open Source software.
How to make the Open Source decision
A good starting point in deciding whether to use Open Source software is to take a look at what phase your company is in regarding the development of Web services, says Thomas Murphy, senior program director for Meta Group consulting firm.
"Open Source is ideal for when you need to keep up with where technology is headed, and for that portion of your technical staff working in future technologies. It's well suited for these early stages. But when you're looking to use something for production and development, that requires a stable release path. So I think that often, people look for commercial tools at that point."
Another deciding factor is money. Open Source tools and software are available for free or very low cost, while software from large, well-established companies can be very pricy. So for companies that haven't decided yet to go full-bore into Web services, or those that are operating on a shoestring or looking to hold down costs, Open Source is the perfect solution.
An exceedingly important issue, but one that is easy to overlook is the "cultural" factor, says Eric Promislow, senior developer specializing in Web services with ActiveState, which provides Open Source-based applications, tools and support.
"Go with Open Source for Web services development if your staff already uses Open Source for other purposes, and want to stay with the tools they know and love," he says. "They know how it works, and they know how to get support for it from the Open Source community." They'll be far more productive — and happier in their jobs — than if they had to use commercial tools.
Promislow adds that Open Source software is an ideal way for companies to dip their toes in the water when it comes to Web services development, and so is suited for companies still deciding whether to seriously pursue Web services.
"They can make no upfront investment except in time," he says, and so can inexpensively develop pilot projects.
How to handle the "Gotchas"
The Meta Group's Murphy warns that there are a series of not-obvious issues that companies should be aware of when they ultimately decide to go the Open Source route.
"Businesses need to understand that in using Open Source, they are also taking on support and product management responsibilities," he warns. "You need someone to track where the bug fixes are, and know what the newest features are likely to be. It's not like a commercial product where someone makes money off support and so provides it for you — you have to do it yourself."
That includes simple matters such as installing the software. Open Source software doesn't necessarily have "normal installation routines," he says, there is no one to call for installation support, and so your staff will have to handle even that. A way around the problem, he notes, is that you can use a commercial implementation of Open Source software — that way, you'll get the benefits of Open Source, including its community support and low cost, but still be able to get technical support.
Open Source software is built by community, and is a community effort, and so businesses have to decide up-front how involved their developers can be in that community. Should your business allow developers not only to work with Open Source software, but also participate in the community, and in the community development of the software? Will you allow your developers to spend company time working on Open Source community projects? If you're going with Open Source, put rules in place for this ahead of time, or else you'll face trouble further on.
You'll also have to establish other types of policies ahead of time as well, Murphy says. There are many kinds of Open Source software available from many different sources, and so you should determine what kind of software your company will be allowed to use, and from what sources it will accept it.
Open Source software does not necessarily mean that the code can be used by anyone, for any purpose, forever. It may have license agreements that need to be reviewed, and these agreements are typically very different from the license agreements made with commercial vendors. Your legal staff should review the licenses of all Open Source software before you use it, "so that you understand your obligations and your rights," Murphy says.
For example, he says, what if you build a for-pay Web service on top of Open Source technology — do you have any obligations to provide that code for free to others? What if you're selling commercial software you've built on top of Open Source technology, but the provider of the Open Source technology retains the copyright to its code and decides in the future to start charging for it — what are your financial and legal obligations?
The Open Source bottom line
The bottom line is that for many companies, Open Source is an inexpensive, ideal way to get started with Web services development. But companies should prepare ahead of time for its use. And according to Murphy, "it's not the technology you need to prepare yourself for. It's everything else — project management issues, support issues and the legal issues." But if you're like the Boy Scouts, and you're prepared, you can reap big benefits from Open Source for your Web services projects.
About the Author
Preston Gralla, a well-known technology expert, is the author of more than 20 books, including "How the Internet Works," which has been translated into 14 languages and sold several hundred thousand copies worldwide. He is an expert on Web services and the author of a major research and white paper for the Software and Information Industry Association on the topic. Gralla was the founding managing editor of PC Week, a founding editor and then editor and editorial director of PC/Computing, and an executive editor for ZDNet and CNet. He has written about technology for more than 15 years for many major magazines and newspapers, including PC Magazine, Computerworld, CIO Magazine, eWeek and its forerunner PC Week, PC/Computing, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and the Dallas Morning News among others. As a well-known technology guru, he appears frequently on TV and radio shows and networks, including CNN, MSNBC, ABC World News Now, the CBS Early Show, PBS's All Things Considered and others. He has won a number of awards for his writing, including from the Computer Press Association for the Best Feature in a Computer Publication. He can be reached at preston@gralla.com.
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