• Is There Such a Thing as Free Software? The Pros and Cons of Open-Source Software (EDUCAUSE Quarterly) | EDUCAUSE
  • • When open-source software is effectively evaluated, deployed, and managed, it can serve as a viable alternative to proprietary software.
    • Open-source software doesn’t always save resources or money, but it has definite advantages in certain situations.
    • Open-source software is licensed, so any use comes with certain rights and obligations; noncompliance entails serious legal and financial risks.
  • The most opportune time to consider OSS (or any software, for that matter) is when:
    • You don’t already have a system in place.
    • Your current PS or custom-developed solution is nearing the end of its useful life.
  • Including evaluation of OSS products expands competition and increases pressure on PS vendors to reduce costs, increase performance, and/or better tailor their products to meet your needs.
  • Institutions should develop a process to evaluate OSS equally during a request for information/proposal/quote (RFI/P/Q) process.
  • Ensure that RFI/P/Q questions are neutral and unbiased, so as not to disadvantage OSS products
  • Ensure that both PS and OSS bids, or bid equivalents, are received in response to RFI/P/Qs
  • It the intention is to handle support internally, the costs of the resources required to provide that in-house support should be identified and included in the evaluation to ensure an accurate cost comparison.
  • Higher education institutions can no longer afford to limit themselves to using traditional fee-based proprietary software. When appropriately managed, the use of open-source software can provide an institution with more effective and less costly software solutions

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