Open Source for core enterprise applications

The folks over at Express Computer Online just released some results of its informal study seeking to answer the question, “What prompts SMBs to run their core enterprise applications on Open Source platforms?” DCM Engineering runs its core application mySAP Enterprise Version 5.0 on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Rakesh Dhamani, DCM’s Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary was quoted as stating that “The amount of administrative effort which goes into maintaining the ERP solution on an Open Source platform is much lower compared to running proprietary software.” Most comments in the survey reflect Dhamani’s opinion, and the article continues to opine that “In the past, chief information officers were hesitant when it came to porting enterprise applications on to Open Source platforms due to the lack of support…” But faith – particularly in Asia and on The Subcontinent, the focus of the Express Computer survey – has burgeoned like the technology, but is still lacking.

Forrester Research senior analyst R. Ray Wang says in the piece that “Small- and mid-sized businesses are open to experiment with open source platforms and are very likely to consider them to run their core applications. However, the lack of standardized support to maintain, upgrade and customize these applications remains a big barrier.” CRM24x7 president / CEO Mohamed Ali explains it thusly: “SMBs are discouraged by factors such as the cost of licensing and since open source safeguards against forced future hardware investment, they prefer to go in for open source platforms.” Statistically speaking, claims Ali, the cost of a Linux-based server is approximately fifty percent lower.”

The study indicates that doubts in India regarding running enterprise applications on open source platforms have been blown away. Dhamani says that his company had hesitated on pushing open source in India because of the support problems. “But now that support mechanisms are available and many more SMBs have adopted Open Source platforms,” he says, “there is an air of confidence and more companies are expected to take this route.” And Express Computer gets even more optimistic, stating that there are “many confidence-building measures now to help SMBs port their enterprise applications onto open source,” with the big boys moving in.

In future, Hewlett Packard plans to start an open reference architecture lab on Linux in Bangalore to assist customers in testing and porting enterprise applications onto Linux. Independent software vendors in India have been interviewed by HP reps and work on the lab is proceeding.