Article written by Ralph Windsor - from DAMNEWS
Ralph Windsor, a senior partner in one of our featured DAM vendors, Daydream discusses some myths about open source software and explains why he believes open source represents the future for DAM.
Introduction
In this article, I will examine a number of the myths about open source software and try to clear up some misconceptions which I regularly encounter.
If you intend to invest into a DAM system, it is important that you evaluate arguments posed for and against types of software license to decide if they apply to you. The license should not be the sole criteria for choosing a product, however, as I shall illustrate, using an open source DAM system can offer some compelling benefits.
Before we commence, a disclaimer. I am a representative of a consultancy business that both uses and develops open source DAM software as well as integrating DAM systems with other proprietary and open source solutions. While I have made every effort to be objective and factual in my analysis, you need to do your own research and form an independent opinion about any conclusions reached.
Myth 1: Open source software costs no money
There is an implicit assumption that open source software costs no money and this is often the original reason why many users seek an open source product. However, this is not the defining characteristic of open source, it is the ability to access the source code of the software if you are user of it.
An open source DAM vendor can charge you for a software licence and still be open source. There is not necessarily a direct relationship between a type of license and what you have to pay to obtain it. The "free" part means that you have the freedom to access the source code and change it yourself providing you abide by the terms of the license.
Myth 2: Cost-free downloadable software and open source software means the same thing
Deciding to offer no-cost download of a DAM system is not exclusively an open source strategy but more of a marketing tactic intended to increase user numbers. The worst outcome for most software is having no one use it. Just like websites need traffic, magazines need readers and TV channels need viewers, if software does not have users it lacks an audience and a platform to grow and acquire momentum from which revenue can be generated.
A vendor may choose to solve this problem by offering a public download of their DAM system and to give themselves a competitive edge in terms of market attention, but that does not mean they are open source. The only defining criteria is that all of the source code is available and open to the users of the software irrespective of what method was used to distribute it and whether costs were applied or not.
Myth 3: Open source and Cloud DAM are different
It is common to find DAM systems being classified using one of three categories:
- Open source
- Proprietary (closed source)
- Software as a Service (SaaS) or Cloud
The reality is that Cloud/SaaS DAM can be either proprietary or open source, so the third category is invalid. It is quite common for open source DAM systems to have Cloud hosting options and be implemented with that environment in mind. Cloud/SaaS describes software that is designed for multiple simultaneous groups of end users ('multi-tenanted' to use the terminology) and typically delivered to users via Cloud hosting providers (e.g. Amazon). It has no relationship upon the license used by the vendor.
There are only two factors which prevent all DAM vendors with a Cloud offer from offering their products as open source: willingness to do so and use of third party technologies which they lack the rights to distribute the source code for.
Continue reading 10 Common Myths About Open Source Software.
