Can Open Source ERP Succeed?
Derek Singleton, writing for Software Advice:
Open source has been a great success for infrastructure software such as Linux, Apache and MySQL. Here at Software Advice, we’ve made use of all three. We’ve also made extensive use of open source development libraries like jQuery. For apps, however, we have either rolled our own or deployed commercial Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offerings.
We’re not alone in that decision. Open-source applications have failed to gain mainstream acceptance. Despite passionate communities and a compelling value proposition, businesses just aren’t buying open-source enterprise applications.
In my experience, people have indeed noticed this trend, but there’s been a dearth of discussion as to why open source ERP apps haven’t found a foothold. Singleton discusses some possible reasons (most notable, to me: enterprise applications are sold, not bought and capitalists make poor contributors), but there’s another: when enterprise app decisions are made, careers and reputations are on the line. Make the wrong decision, and it’s trouble for everyone.
It’s a support thing. An ‘I got your back thing.’ And it can’t be ignored.
It’s easier – and safer – to choose commercially-represented applications and technologies because of the tremendous amount of pre- and post-sale support you get from vendors. It’s comfortable. And, if things do get ugly, you have a tangible entity to seek recourse from. This aspect cannot be overlooked, and Singleton hints at it in his first reason’s explanation.
But, go the open source route and have an intangible community to use as a buffer? Much more difficult. If things go poorly, you want support, you want bodies in your datacenter, and you want them now.
That smells like a traditional vendor’s role to me.
But, like Singleton, I’ll turn the question around: why do you think open source ERP hasn’t caught on?
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More ERP posts.
