Over the years, open source software has become an integral part of every organization's technology. It is a central part of many IT leaders' strategy to drive agility, profitability and innovation. Recent research shows that 80% of IT managers using enterprise open source plan to increase their use in the next two years, seeing business benefits that include an increased ability to leverage emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, containers, and edge computing. tip.
However, open source should not be the exclusive domain of developers and IT teams. For it to have a transformative impact on the entire business, senior management must understand how it can be leveraged. With leaders under pressure to embrace the rapidly evolving AI movement, which relies heavily on open development, now is a pertinent time to explore open source more comprehensively across the organization. Here are four tips to get you started.
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Understand what 'enterprise' in 'enterprise open source' means for your business
With the complexity of today's cloud landscape, software supply chains are coming under increased scrutiny and it is vital to know where your code comes from. Open source projects originate from “bottom-up” communities and involve contributors from around the world. While this software is free to download, you are responsible for managing, tracking, and maintaining the lifecycle, which requires resources and expertise. Using enterprise open source transfers these responsibilities to a trusted support provider, who handles third-party dependency verification and software stabilization, quality control, compatibility with hardware and software ecosystems, and security. . They can also provide you with technical support and strategic guidance to get the best return on investment for your business. When evaluating vendors, check to see if they are actively driving the development of business functions designed to meet real-world business needs.
The transparency of open source is often an advantage when it comes to security, as patches can be scanned for patches, are well documented, and can be made available quickly to address vulnerabilities. As with any software, maintaining your own security procedures remains essential. With paradigm shifts like cloud and containers, security requires constant attention and integration into development workflows. Choosing the right open source vendor can help with these security integrations and ensure that security is built into your platform from the beginning.
Take advantage of an extended team
Modernizing an organization and delivering differentiated customer experiences depends largely on IT development and management teams. However, even as their scopes expand, these teams often face resource limitations and skill gaps; with strategic thinking, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity being the most in demand, according to a recent survey of IT managers. Open source presents an additional capability, providing access to a global community of contributors who can share expert guidance. A great example is the Fintech Open Source Foundation (FINOS), which brings together more than 70 members, including major banks and tech giants, to leverage collective intelligence to address a variety of industry opportunities.
Invest your people and your time where it counts
Determining the right balance between open source usage and internal development is unique to each company. Leaders should periodically take stock to consider where internal innovation will deliver the greatest differentiation and business value, and focus resources accordingly. Elsewhere, external expertise and third-party software can help address specific demands.
By partnering with a software provider, make the most of what is offered. Software subscriptions typically cover a wide range of support, training, and knowledge. Use them to your advantage to complement your expertise and optimize the way you use your systems to improve cost efficiency and measure and drive real business results.
Foster a culture of collaboration.
Open source thrives when people work transparently and collaboratively to leverage each other's contributions. Key principles include creating communities of practice to share knowledge, breaking down silos, and preparing for continuous iteration. Cultivating this type of open dynamic within an organization encourages the exchange of ideas and a more rapid dissemination of knowledge. We are already seeing these open source practices increasingly adopted, including for in-house proprietary software development, where it is known as InnerSourcing. In addition to increasing team productivity and efficiency, this can help make an employer more attractive to digital talent.
Champion open source in senior management
Software engineers can only go so far – it is up to senior management to play a vital role in exploiting the potential of open source-driven innovation across the organisation. This trickles down to line-of-business departments, especially legal and procurement, who need to understand how open source licenses work. The highest performing and most resilient organizations we see are those with senior management dedicated to open source. There has never been more information and support available to those looking to take advantage of open source, so if you haven't started yet, now is the time.
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