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Data Mining & Business Intelligence >> Open for Business
2/1/2007
On the other hand, open source could work well for a school with a lot of student programmers, points out Mark Madsen, an IT consultant based in Rogue River, OR. “If you’ve got lots of smart young people working for peanuts, in that environment open source BI probably becomes very attractive.” Yet many open source BI programs are still fairly rough around the edges, though they are getting more user-friendly all the time, says Madsen. Open source BI “is not something that you can just pull out the box and install the CD; it’s not like that at all,” points out Rick Mortensen, CEO of Marvelit, a maker of open source BI “dashboard” software—a visual tool for campus execs who want to see key changes in business indicators at a glance.
On the bright side, in the current climate of mergers and acquisitions, open source sidesteps some of the risk that proprietary systems present. If a commercial software provider merges with another, there is nothing to stop the acquiring company from shutting down the smaller business, or encouraging migration to one product by making another product difficult to use. But with an open source system, supporters point out, most of the code is in the hands of the campus developer. In a sense, this “future proofs” the enterprise, because the community of users, not the company, has control of the software. Explains Walter of Pentaho: “You’ve almost got this automatic insurance policy: other folks like you, who are in the same boat.”
Di Paolantonio says there also tend to be fewer new releases of open source software, as opposed to commercial. After a certain point, he says, many commercial vendors continue to create new releases but the reasons have more to do with a company’s revenue stream than with improving performance for users. The open source companies, on the other hand, “are not trying to sell you the latest greatest version just to make some money and give you a new GUI,” he says.
Major Changes Ahead
Stephen believes the rise of open source is a major event, like the end of punch cards (which she witnessed while working for IBM in the 1980s), and later, the rise of Microsoft. Today, open source “is getting real,” says Stephen. “I went to the Linux conference in San Francisco in August and it reminded me of when Microsoft was first evolving,” she says, pointing out that open source is now at the stage of evolution when the Birkenstocks and ponytails disappear, and open source execs start to buy sharp suits. She believes that there are now good open source alternatives in almost every category of software. “I can’t think of an area in IT today where open source is not offering equal or better tools,” she says.
When it comes to business intelligence in particular, however, the revolution may still be a few years away. David Brower, global education market manager for Novell, believes that such an evolution may take some time: Schools that have spent millions to install commercial ERP systems aren’t going to be too eager to rip them out and start over any time soon. That will change over time as the functionality improves. All open source has to do is get close to where ERP functionality is now, and schools will begin to cross over, Brower maintains.
Right now, says Marvelit’s Mortensen, the choice between open source and proprietary BI comes down to this: Do I want a cheap solution that gets me 80 percent of what I need, but is painful, or do I want a slicker, more expensive solution, that is also painful?
Open source BI may not be perfected yet, but TDWI’s Wells advises keeping a close eye on it. Institutions that aren’t ready to take the plunge now should check back in 18 to 24 months. “But don’t wait five years,” he warns: A longterm investment in a proprietary system may make a switch more difficult.
WEBEXTRA :: CT speaks with open source visionary Lee Belarmino of San Joaquin Delta College (CA).
Bennett Voyles is a New-York based business and finance writer.
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