1. Open Source vs. Standard Software – Impacts on Library Infrastructures
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias L. Hemmje
Faculty for Mathematics and Computer Science, Chair for Multimedia and Internet Applications, University of Hagen and Scientific and Technical Advisor of InConTec GmbH
Prague, 10th of May 2010

2. About the Speaker Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias L. Hemmje
University of Hagen
Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science
Chair for Multimedia and Internet Applications
18 years of experience in IT R&D on national and international level, >100 Publications
Senior Expert Consultant for BMBF, EC, and R&D spin-offs
15 years at Fraunhofer IPSI, Darmstadt
Former University Professorships at Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich and University of Duisburg
Areas of Expertise: HCI, Information Systems, Digital Libraries, Multimedia Archives, Long Term Archival, and Digital Preservation

3. Outline Open Source vs. Standard Software - What is the difference?
Introduction to Open Source
Free and Open Source Initiatives
Open Source History and Exmples
Potential Benefits, Disadvantages, & Riscs
Make or Buy? Selection & Success Criteria
An exemplar approach in the Library Domain
Concluding Remarks
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

4. Open Source vs. Standard Software - What is the difference?
Standard Software is sold and supported commercially
However, Open Source Software can be sold and/or supported commercially, too.
Perhaps, the term Proprietary Software is more correct
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

5. Definitions of Open Source Software (I)
Open source is an approach to the design, development, and distribution of software, offering practical accessibility to a software's source code.
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

6. Definitions of Open Source Software (II)
Some consider Open Source as one of various possible design approaches, while others consider it a critical strategic element of their operations. [1]
[1]
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

7. What is the difference? (I)
Usually the question of Open Source vs. Standard Software is framed as
Linux vs. Microsoft
Innovation vs. Security
etc.
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

8. What is the difference? (II)
However, this is just a simplification from a Marketing Point of view, because …
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

9. Free & Open Source Initiatives …
… have been there for ages and
… have produced various licensing schemes
… are responsible for some of the most radical ICT innovations that man kind has seen so far!
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

10. Free & Open Source Initiatives …
Public domain
Shareware, freeware
Copyrighted but free to use
GNU Public License (GPL)
Creative Commons, Open Source
Other licensing: BSD, Q License, etc.
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

11. Open Source History (I)
Very similar to open standards, researchers with access to the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) used a process called Request for Comments to develop telecommunication network protocols.
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

12. Open Source History (II)
Characterized by contemporary open source work, this 1960s' collaborative process led to the birth of the Internet in [1]
[1]
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

13. Open Source History (III)
There are earlier instances of open source and free software such as IBM's source releases of its operating systems and other programs in the 1950s, 60s, and the SHARE user group that was formed to facilitate the exchange of software.[2][3]
[2] Fisher, Franklin M.; James W. McKie, Richard B. Mancke (1983). IBM and the U.S. Data Processing Industry: An Economic History. Praeger. ISBN   pages IBM unbundled (began charging for) software June 23, 1969
[3] Dave Pitts' IBM 7090 support – An example of distrbuted source: Page contains a link to IBM 7090/94 IBSYS source, including COBOL and FORTRAN compilers.
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

14. Open Source History (IV)
Before the term Open Source became widely adopted, developers and producers used a variety of phrases to describe the concept.
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

15. Open Source History (V)
The term Open Source gained popularity with the rise of the Internet, which provided access to diverse production models, communication paths, and, last but not least interactive communities. [1]
[1]
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

16. Open Source History (VI)
The decision by some people in the free software movement to use the label “open source” came out of a strategy session[4] held at Palo Alto, California, in reaction to Netscape's January 1998 announcement of a source code release for Navigator.
[4] a b Tiemann, Michael (September 19, 2006). "History of the OSI". Open Source Initiative. Retrieved on August 23, 2008.
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

17. Open Source History (VII)
They used the opportunity before the release of Navigator's source code to free themselves of the ideological and confrontational connotations of the term free software. Netscape licensed and released its code as open source under the Netscape Public License and subsequently under the Mozilla Public License.[5]
[5] Muffatto, Moreno (2006). Open Source: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Imperial College Press. ISBN  
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

18. Open Source History (VIII)
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

19. Examples in both Categories
OpenSource
Operating Systems
Linux
Word Processing and Office Applications
openOffice
Software Development
Eclipse
JDK
Multimedia Content Creation
Gimp
Web Page Design
Typo 3
Proprietory
Operating Systems
MS Windows, XP, Vista ; SUN Solaris
Word Processing and Office Applications
MS Office, Adobe Framemaker
Software Development
.net
MS Visual Studio
Multimedia Content Creation
Adobe Photoshop
Web Page Design
MS Frontpage
Adobe Flash, Dreamweaver
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

20. Potential Benefits of Standard Software
Potential Benefits of deploying to standard software in an application solution:
Understand and comply with the business & technological models of commercial software engineering in a professional environment
Support of standard software / solutions, including services
Compliance with industrial standards
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

21. Potential Benefits of Open Source Software (I)
Availability of source code
Source code to understand and learn from
Do not have to re-invent the wheel
Free as in “freedom”
And sometimes: free as in “gratis”
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

22. Potential Benefits of Open Source Software (II)
Does not depend on vendor
Can choose additional support
Can fix bugs and adapt to change in requirements as well as technology
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

23. Potential Disadvantages and Riscs of Standard Software (I)
Dependent upon a single vendor
What if …
… the vendor disappears from the market?
… the vendor charges too much?
… bug fixing and enhancements not sufficient?
etc.
Monopoly?
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

24. Potential Disadvantages and Riscs of Standard Software (II)
Too much Intellectual Property can be bad for innovation …
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

25. Potential Disadvantages and Riscs of Open Source SW (I)
If source code is not looked at, there is no need to have Open Source SW
There are also bad codes, unqualified persons which use it, etc.
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

26. Potential Disadvantages and Riscs of Open Source SW (II)
Software quality assurance process is widely not transparent
etc.
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

27. Make or Buy? (I) Overall Challenges in the Library Domain
Cost Pressure
New User Demands
Outsourcing/
ASP
1st Source Search-
Engines (Google)
Cooperations
2 Clicks
Web 2.0
Fast Response
Consolidation
Productivity
„Buy instead
of Make“
independend
Colloborative
Competition
more e-only
Personalisation
Library
Standardisation
Open Systems
Dynamic Content
Federated Search
Open Access
High Volume Information Streams
Central Catalogue Virt. Catalogue
Digitisation
Mobil
Open Source?
Ranking
Integration
Information
Sharing
„Recommender“
Quality
eJournals
eBooks
Single sign On
Internet
eLearning
Comfortable
GUI
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

28. Make or Buy? (II) Decision Making Dimensions
Cost
Quality
Time
Ressource Availability
Flexibility
Service-Strategy
An dieser Stelle folgen einige Stichworte zum Thema Architektur
Die modulare, offene und skalierbare Architektur wird durch den umfassenden Einsatz modernster Technologien gekennzeichnet
Wie z.B. XML, JAVA sowie Webservices
Die Interoperabilität spielt bei DTL eine weitere große Rolle. Schnittstellen zu anderen Applikationen (wie z.B. Bibliothekssystemen) sind möglich, bzw. bereits implementiert.
Dabei ist wichtig, dass diese nicht über proprieräte Protokolle ,sondern über Standardprotokolle (wie z.B. OAI) realisiert sind.
Ein weiteres zentrales Feature ist die Flexibilität, wie sie sich z.B. in der Nutzung von XML bei den Metadaten zeigt.
Weiterhin werden wesentliche Standards unterstützt, wie zum Beispiel Dublin Core, MARC, NISO Z39,87, PREMIS
Ebenso ist die Verarbeitung komplexer, zusammengesetzter Objekte, die Verwaltung von multiplen Manifestationen sowie die Abbildung von hierarchischen Strukturen ein wesentliches Thema in DigiTool
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

29. Make or Buy? (III) Generic Enterprize Experiences
IT has become a Commodity and is therefore expected to support almost any kind of Enterprize Application like a Service-Center
Significant Cost Pressure requires new positioning:
Which are Core Competences?
Which are Competences that can be supported economically?
Investments „only“ in Core Competences
Increasing Deployment of Standard Software
Implementation of Sourcing-Strategies (ASP, Outsourcing, Cooperations etc.)
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

30. Make or Buy? (IV) Open Source – an Alternative for Libraries?
Potential Disadvantages of building Open Source
Full Deployment Risk
W.r.t. Completeness and Robustness of Functional Features
Development-Know How is bound to human resoures
Total Cost of Ownership
High Follow-up Cost for Maintenance of Application Features and Interfaces
Need for own Support Infrastructure
Höhere Schulungskosten
No secured follow-up development strategy
Need for own Development Resources and Strategy
„Time to Market“ pressure
Potential Advantages of building on Open Source
Software is „free of cost“
Sourcecode is freely available
High Flexibility
Own Requirements can be mapped very detailled to Features
Open Standards
Independency of Providers
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

31. Make or Buy? (V) There is now Standard Answer ...
... but a set of questions to be systematically analysed and answered as a decision support:
Is IT application developement a Core Competence of the Library?
Does the Library win a Strategic Advantage by means of own IT Developements?
How big is the Functional Delta to features of Standard Software?
Economic Analysis? Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)?
Time to Market – How long until Production?
How are the chances for follow-up funding of necessary further Evolution of the Solution? Is there a Funding Basis/Community?
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

32. Make or Buy? (VI) Economic Criteria and Planning of TCO
Deployment Costs
Production Costs
Strategic Aspects
Human Resource Costs
Human Resource Cost
Which are Core Competences
Consultancy Costs
Maintenance/Support
What is the Future Service-Offering?
Licensing Costs
Hardware Costs
Integration into a Solution Architecture
Migration Costs
Training Cost
Openness/Standards
Training Costs
Update Cost
Stability/Security
Installation Costs
Further Development
Budgeting Focus
Start-up Overhead Costs
Usability
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

33. Summary of Selection and Success Criteria
Cost Categories
Design Cost
Specification Cost
Implementation Cost
Production Cost
Maintenance/Service Cost
Update/Migration Cost
∑Total Cost of Ownership
Flexibility Dimensions
Expressiveness of the Solution
Granularity of Adaptation to Initial Requirements
Managing Change
Persistency of the Solution
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

34. An Exemplar Approach in the Library Domain:
Feature&Demand Profiling and Gap Analysis of Search Platforms used in Library Institutions

35. Application Context SHAMAN Project Profile
Large-Scale Integrated Project
48 months Duration
1.300 PM effort by a Team of 60 R&D Specialists
18 Partners from 9 Countries

36. Welcome to the future. Welcome to SHAMAN.

37. Feature & Demand Profiling Methodology applied in SHAMAN
Creation of a Multidimensional Decision Support Questionnaire about Features, Demands and other Properties of the solution
Production of a Multidimensional Feature Profile Scoring and Ranking Schema
Desk-based Research (R&D publications, white papers, marketing material) revealed RTD Feature Space for Open Source and Standard Software systems to be profiled
Pre-testing and Adjustment of the Profiling method
Interviews on-site or by phone, documentation and crosscheck with interviewees
Calculation and Visualization of Profile Scoring and Ranking
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

38. Feature&Demand-Categories used in the Profiling#
Integration in ILS Systems 1
Format & Migration Support 2
Management & Administration Features for Existing Standard Functions 3
Personalization Functions 4
Collaboration Support Features 5
Efficency of Search Functions 6
Quality and Efficency of Result Presentation 7
Openess and Customizing Support 8
Usability, User Support Functions and „Ease of Use“ 9
Scoring of the Interviewees during the Survey
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

39. Feature-Category Priorities from Customers’ Point of View
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

40. Excerpt of the Feature-Profiling Questionnaire
Browsing functions (simple and advanced search modus)
Which browsing function can be influenced by the user
Yes No 1
Can you browse in predefined lists, hosted by the system itself?
facets 2
Can you browse in predefined lists or documents hosted on o global base? 3
Can you sort these lists to your favor (alphabetic, theme oriented, …) 4
In Browsing lists are there the most important information resource prioritized on top of the lists 5
Is alphabetic browsing in different fields e.g. Authors, Magazine title, …) possible 6
Can the theme oriented structure of lists easy get adapted or changed?
don’t know 7
Can you browse in newspapers to reach articles?
I would imagine that these are not functionalities of an integrated search solution per se but more of the underlying (remote) databases. 8
Can you brows in Magazines to reach articles? 9
Can you browse in Conferences to reach articles? 10
Can the user return each time to the search mode?
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

41. Result Scoring used for Findings
Answer of interviewee
Points
Standard functionality delivered with the product 3
Functionality that can be reached with customization
1,5
Functionality that is provided by the core search engine and requires configuration 2
Not covered by the system
Will be brought in the next upcoming release 1
Planned for future foreseeable release
0,5
Out of scope or other solution gets used
Partly delivered with the standard solution
Not part of the questionnaire
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

42. General Demand-Category Ranking
Question ranking
Scoring
Questioned function is essential 2
Questioned function is important
1,5
Questioned function is “nice to have” 1
Questioned function is not important
0,5
Question does not influence the scoring of the systems
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

43. Requirements-based Demand Ranking of Prospective Users#
Requirement of interviewee
Points 1
Yes, this is a “MUST HAVE” functionality 3
Yes, if no better solution available
1,5 2
Yes, this is expected 4
This is a not necessary function 6
Nice to have 7
Neutral
0,5
5, 8
Don’t Know / Need to investigate 9
On the wish list
Not part of the questionnaire
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

44. Calculation of Scoring Schema
The calculation of the following spider diagrams has been made by the use of the following formula:
Answer of the interviewee (points) * Importance of the question (factor) = Volume of points
The volume of points has been summarized in Feature Categories
The maximum possible feature set represents 100%
The results are presented as percentage of the maximum possible feature sets in each category
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

45. Feature Profiling Results of reviewed Search Platforms
Commercial 1
Open Source 1
Open Source 2
Open Source 3
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

46. Demand Profiling UNI Hagen based on Requirements
Commercial systems
that have been reviewed
Requirements measured with the SHAMAN requirements and scoring
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

47. Methodology applied for the FU Hagen Library Project
Creation of a base questionnaire within the SHAMAN project for digital preservation with the focus on library institutions
Review of the current situation in Hagen (as is)
Prioritization of the future demanded features
Generation of a Ranking Schema related to the Hagen Library Requirements (new 100% axis)
Mapping of the SHAMAN System Feature-Pr0filing results to the new Ranking Schema
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

48. Requirements measured against System Landscape
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

49. Requirements measured against Commercial System 1
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

50. Requirements measured against Commercial System 2
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

51. Requirements measured against Commercial System 3
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

52. Requirements measured against different Open Source Systems
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

53. Gap analysis for all (combined) Open Source Systems
Gap to be filled in
the project with
programming
resources
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

54. Gap analysis Commercial versus Open Source
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

55. Analysis Dimensions Total Cost of Ownership (I)
Commercial system of choice
Cost of investment
Cost of customization and consulting activities to fill the gap
Cost of maintenance for a period of time (maintenance fees)
Cost of migration of customization to the next following releases (number of releases in the defined period of time
Cost of own administration resources
Hosting cost if applicable
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

56. Analysis Dimensions Total Cost of Ownership (II)
Open Source system(s) of choice
Cost of API learning with function review
Cost of development and quality assurance to fill the gap
Cost of documentation to bring the own source code in the source code community
Cost of own administration and of keeping development resources (plus eventually additionally API learning cost of fluctuation appears)
Cost of quality control for new Open source releases to participate in community bug fixing related to the own installation
Hosting cost if applicable
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

57. Other Decision Criteria provided by Users/Customers
Importance
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

58. Concluding Remarks
There are pros and cons to selecting Open Source and Standard Software
SW should be selected and used only after
Careful Needs and Requirements Analysis including Profiles of own Competences vs. available
Open Source Profiles and
Standard Software Profiles
Thorough Definition of Success Criteria
Systematic Evaluation of Potential Benefits versus Riscs including Total Cost of Ownership
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009

59. Fine. Thank you very much for your attention.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias L. Hemmje
Phone (InConTec):
Phone (Uni. Hagen):
Matthias.
Open Source vs. Commercial Software Impacts on Library Infrastructures – Amsterdam, 5th of October 2009