MIS 2 Open Source Software and Movement
LAMP
(Linux Apache MySQL Perl/Python/PHP): An acronym standing for Linux, the Apache Web server software, the MySQL database, and any of several programming languages that start with P (e.g. Perl, Python, or PHP)
Who are the main contributors to the cod of OSS (coding free)
-75% developer by Programers that work at corporations (like Dell, IBM, HP, Oracle, Sun, Nokia), as well as support communities consisting of the software users. -25% Hobbyists, people with investments in associated products -Why? Helps company's functionality; just reporting issues they found while using the software
Think...is it only software or does this model have the ability to apply to other things?
-It has the ability to apply to many other things, such as, genetic engineering to improve crops spread for free; Wikipedia; art/business/medicine, molecule that helps stop cancer spread for free, just emailed to whoever, people took the 'answer' and improved it, studied it on their own, more uses found, more efficient in the end, The St. Louis Cardinals baseball team allows people to sned suggestions of potential MLB players.
Why would a company building tablets choose Android (an open source operating System) over building their own?
-It saves them time and money, also that money can be spent on innovation or other more competitive initiatives -Can bring new products to market faster than competitors building their own OS
What are the benefits of OSS tools like Linux
-Low cost -Increased reliability -Improved security and auditing -System scalability -Help a firm improve its time to market *see google doc for more detail
How is this different than perception of OSS code?
-Most would think the code is written up by "nerds" in their basements. Though some do, most is actually done by corporations as said above. A lot of people also think that it is an inferior product when in reality it is not
How have low marginal costs, network effects, and switching costs combined to help create a huge and traditional industry?
-The marginal costs of producing an additional copy of a software is zero. Network effects and switching cost can offer a leading software firm a degree of customer preference and lock in the can establish a firm as a standard. WINNER TAKES ALL!!!
What do companies have to gain by endorsing open source software? (Think IBM. Also think of Google's investment to run it's millions of servers)
-They can save the money spent of software to fuel innovation. IBM makes hardware, open source software means lower cost of ownership for IBM's goods. This leads to increased sales. IBM also does IT consulting. IBM will not have to give microsoft a cut of every computer sold with windows so it is cheaper for IBM. -Google has 1.4 million servers. Using free OSS software means Google can save money by not having to buy + license software for each server
How do vendors of OSS or companies like IBM that do consulting make money with OSS when it's free?
-They make money on OSS by selling support and consulting services. Also by donations. -OSS is a 60 bil dollar industry, enormous impacts on the 1 trillion IT industry, money paid to people that know how to use it They make money through support and consulting. Because OSS is primarily maintained by people who are well versed in code, the layman can't troubleshoot any issues on OSS and thus need a consultant to help them out with that.
How does this affect the pricing of their tablet?
-it lowers the pricing of their product, ex: Google chromebook -
Total cost of Ownership (TCO)
All of the costs associated with the design, development, testing, implementation, documentation, training, and maintenance of a software system.
Linux
An open source software operating system. Today it powers everything from cell phones to stock exchanges, set top boxes to super computers.
How is OSS a threat to the traditional SW industry?
Because OSS is free, errors can be fixed faster and it is cheaper. Everyone is a winner! -OSS software still has to be installed if its not SaaS. for example... MS word is not OSS and it needs to be installed... Open office is OSS and still needs to be installed
Scalability
Gives the server the ability to handle increasing workloads, or to spread the server's workload among a large number of machines (i.e. servers) that are working in tandem (i.e. working at the same time). One of the key pros of OSS
What are some examples of open software?
Linux, Google Docs (no it's not, it's SaaS - it's not open source), Firefox, OpenOffice, Gimp, Android
What does it mean when we say "Keeping the lights on" does not create competitive advantage
Means keeping the systems running smoothly (does not grow business.) Instead OSS allows for designers to focus more on new hardware and making the operating system better than simply maintaining an already existing software system. See google doc for more
What are the arguments against the OSS model?
Security, privacy issues, only relying on one vendor more complex to install and you gotta fix it yourself. *See google doc
Open source software (OSS)
Software that is free (relatively free since there is a TCO) and where anyone can look at and potentially modify the code -No single person owns the complex adaptive system; everyone joins their knowledge
How man types of OSS software exist?
Thousands, every software product has a free OSS equivalent -SourceForge.net lists over 230,000 such products
What are non-software related examples of the "Open Source Movement"?
Wikipedia, Kickstarter, Hitrecord, Hoot, titanpad
Marginal Cost
the cost of producing one more unit of a product. (When refering to software, the marginal cost is $0 -to produce one more, it costs virtually nothing)
