The (New) True Benefits of Open-Source

Ten years ago, cost advantage was often the main reason that businesses implemented open-source solutions. This is no longer the case. New online business needs require the ability to innovate and evolve continuously, which highlights the true benefits of open source.

Businesses seeking success as online merchants now value the ability to quickly create systems of innovation, customized to their unique business opportunities, and recognize that open-source empowers them in ways traditional, proprietary software often cannot match.

Recent research from Gartner, Inc states that "Instead of cost advantage, the true benefits of OSS include:

  • Freedom--to run the software for any purpose and to redistribute it

  • Innovation--the ability to leverage a collaborative community of developers

  • Flexibility--to deploy the software in a manner that best meets the organization's requirements.” Gartner1

As decision makers around the globe evaluate open-source options, HotWax Systems experts recommend that they fully evaluate the (new) true benefits of open source, including:

  1. Superior quality: open-source software is created by numerous developers collaborating worldwide rather than a handful of developers teaming up in isolation.

  2. Customizability: open-source software can be easily accessed and modified to meet evolving needs, allowing ongoing innovation. Not so with proprietary software.

  3. Freedom: with open-source, businesses are liberated from vendor lock, and from endless, mandatory hardware and software upgrades.

  4. Security: with closed source software, there is no way to know for certain whether or not the vendor is keeping the software secure or adhering to important standards. With open source, you can see the code for yourself.

  5. Own Your System: with open-source software, you own your digital commerce system. Period.

HotWax Commerce, our fully customizable, enterprise-class, open-source digital commerce solution, is powered by Apache OFBiz and supported by an expert team of the world’s top OFBiz engineers. Schedule an expert consultation today to learn how the innovation and flexibility of open-source can help your business become even more successful.

"Instead of cost advantage, the true benefits of OSS include: Freedom--to run the software for any purpose and to redistribute it; Innovation--the ability to leverage a collaborative community of developers; Flexibility--to deploy the software in a manner that best meets the organization's requirements." Gartner 1

Gartner1
"Should I Use Open Source in My Infrastructure"?
Arun Chandrasekaran, Andrew Lerner, 26 February, 2015