Open Source Software for the Enterprise

There is no shortage of great ideas floating around right now. Unfortunately, as much value as we like to put on our good ideas, failure to execute on them means they turn out to be little more than dreams with practical application but no realization.

However, over the past few years, the open source movement has gained tremendous ground in it’s battle for broad acceptance and reliability. I would dare say, open source is coming of age. The broad use of LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP) to build still more open source applications is eclipsed only by the applications built on that framework. Of course WordPress and Firefox immediately come to mind but the number of open source projects abounds.

The open source platform enablers such as Apache and Linux have enjoyed wide use in the enterprise for some time but the applications built on them have struggled to gain acceptance in those same businesses though for good reason. Most of them simply weren’t ready for prime time. But that’s changing and quickly so. With applications such as MySQL driving more and more databases, and WordPress running some large and complex websites, businesses are starting to realize the benefits of using free, open source applications and are finding out how reliable they can be. More importantly, the age and durability of those applications means there is also a growing talent pool of professionals capable of supporting them.

The idea is, that out of this movement a few things will happen.

1. Incumbent, non-open source giants will begin to be displaced for basic service offerings (think Apache instead of IIS).
2. New businesses will grow on the backs of open source applications, and not just new products, but services companies as well
3. Open source technologies could eventually rival complex enterprise applications.

Number 2 is exactly why I started BlackBox Technologies. A lot of businesses are using open source applications and need expertise to support them and help them get up and running or to maintain those applications. Also, a lot of small businesses and individuals can now afford powerful, scalable, flexible websites because they can be built by professionals at a relatively low cost without incurring software licensing fees, now or ever.

But, number 3 is what intrigues me the most and is where I hope BlackBox will go, eventually, even if only in part. The open source movement has proven that it is capable of building applications that can operate effectively at the enterprise level. When coupled with a subject matter expert in a particular discipline such as law, real estate, corporate governance, etc… the technical minds that contribute en masse to open source projects will have an opportunity to compete or displace incumbent software providers.

There will be concerns about security, reliability, support … all of which are quite valid to the enterprise, and all of which can be addressed and mitigated. Early adoption would likely begin at a snails pace, but there is a very viable opportunity with a fortune waiting to be made from the services associated with those applications (see #2). At the same time the cost savings to large companies would be quite literally billions per year.

There are some applications which don’t lend themself to a services oriented revenue stream and will always cost money, and quite frankly, that is ok. People deserve to make money for their hard work and some apps will demand a premium, but the opportunity abounds for those willing to start the ball rolling now on the open source revolution for the enterprise.

PS: Just as I was finishing writing this I caught wind of a website that is at the grassroots level of just such a project. Slipfire is a start-up, open source project aimed at developing a CRM (Customer Relationship Mangement) application on the WordPress platform. If you are inclined to help an open source application out this might be a good one to get involved with. I don’t know much more about it but I’ll be keeping a close eye on where this goes.

Learn to Simplify Your Life

As you know if you have followed this blog for any amount of time, I keep a lot of irons in the fire. And even though it has always been my desire to start my own business and work in that business full time I have continued to maintain a day job for any number of reasons. But sometimes we have to be pushed when we’re a little afraid to jump. So when I found out that headcount reductions were going to affect me I decided that now was the time to jump in with both feet and attack my dreams. So here we go…

About 9 months ago I decided it was time to really simplify my life, that I didn’t need all of the peripheral crap I had loaded it up with and I would be able to focus better and see more clearly if I dumped the extraneous things that were distractions. I love having a house, but it’s more work than I care for so it’s up for sale, bad market or not. I don’t really need two cars, after all I only have one butt so the BMW is up for sale (honestly the S2000 is just way more fun to drive). I’ve dumped clothing, old music gear (keep the guitars of course), electronics and other stuff that’s been sitting in a closet going unused. I’m even selling off some furniture and anything else I keep thinking I need but haven’t touched or used in a long time and I’m really looking forward to downsizing and focusing wholeheartedly on my businesses. To be sure, the lower financial burden will be helpful too since anyone who has started a company knows that cash is king and it can be tough in the beginning.

The lesson in all of this is that we really don’t “need” a lot of the things we think we do and lessening those things can be a huge step toward seeing with more clarity and focusing on what is really important. My inspiration for change has come from a lot of places but 4 Hour Work Week definitely played a part. If you haven’t ready it yet, check it out. I also recommend Pam Slim’s blog, escapefromcubiclenation.com for a lot of the same life simplifying insights. In the mean time, if you are thinking of starting a business, going back to school or any other en devour you just haven’t seemed to have gotten started, think very seriously about how important that goal is to you and even more so about what you can do without. Life, like a desk or room, can get cluttered and when it does it’s hard for us to be at our best. So clean it out and get down to what is most important to you. You’ll be surprised at what you don’t miss.

I’m not an advocate of being a “minimalist” either. I’m sure some day I’ll re-complicate my life (to an extent) with some things, but they’ll be things I really enjoy and it will be when I have time to enjoy them. So if you decided to scale back and find it more painful than I have (I find it quite liberating actually) then remember it’s temporary so you can move on to even bigger and better things. Best of luck in doing so.