Dresner Advisory Services Suggests Business World Become Open Source Literate
IT needs to be able to make informed decisions about open source options
NASHUA, N.H., Aug. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Interest in open source solutions is rising and IT professionals should pay attention lest it lead to surprisingly large budgets and hidden-in-plain-sight unsupportable tech stacks, according to a new report from Dresner Advisory Services (DAS).
In the Dresner Research Insight: Time to Seriously Reconsider the Role Open Source Can Play in Data and Analytics (July 2022), DAS is offering IT and data professionals 5 basic recommendations related to open source solutions:
- Become open-source literate. Many data and analytics professionals know little about the differences between open source vs. proprietary software.
- Add tools to your arsenal based on business need and expected return. While open source tools can deliver excellent results, they often require significant upfront and continuing investment.
- Do not ignore how much open source software already is at work in your analytics data infrastructure. Work with IT colleagues to determine the best tools to use.
- Be ready to optimize data platforms as big data becomes more of a necessity in your organization.
- Continue to champion data-driven decision-making.
“You’re probably not going to save money with open source. Going down the road of implementing open source, you will need to retool,” cautions Howard Dresner, Founder and CRO at DAS. “Open source requires a whole different mindset. Among other things, it requires a higher degree of technical know-how than commercially available software.”
What is open source?
Often developed in a collaborative manner, open source code is available to anyone who wishes to use or modify for their own needs. Developed by a community rather than a single person or company, open source software can be a more affordable and flexible option but primarily for companies and departments customizing and supporting open source solutions.
Why the renewed interest in open source?
Open source entered the analytics space when big data emerged and made significant inroads into cloud IT infrastructure, which impacts analytics. “Open source data repositories were often the best tools to consume unknown quantities of unstructured big data,” says Dresner. “Given the inroads open source software has made and likely will make in the future of business, IT leaders must better understand open source options,” he says.
Users of open source often fall on either end of the spectrum in terms of company size: While smaller organizations look to open source for flexibility, low cost and to enable innovation, larger enterprises have researched and tested open source options for years, determining it to be enterprise viable with sufficient investment and appropriate levels of support.
Recommendations
Businesses that have not already done so need to define a path forward for their use of open source, particularly around big data, as it becomes more mature. “Those purposely choosing not to keep a close eye on open source may soon find themselves in untenable competitive positions,” stresses Dresner.
Open source is unfinished work. “There’s a lot there and there are some amazing technologies, but you better really know what you’re doing. This is hard stuff,” says Dresner, “and definitely requires knowledge and skill that most organizations don’t possess.”
About Dresner Advisory Services
Dresner Advisory Services was formed by Howard Dresner, an independent analyst, author, lecturer, and business adviser. Dresner Advisory Services, LLC focuses on creating and sharing thought leadership for Business Intelligence (BI), Performance Management, and related areas.
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