This talk was given by Demian Katz of Villanova University at the NISO Virtual Conference, Using Open Source in Your Institution, held on February 17, 2016

1. The Real Costs of
Free Software
Demian Katz

2. Open Source is great, and
offers lots of power and
flexibility…
…but with great power comes
great responsibility.

3. Assumptions

4. You don’t have to do this on
your own...
…but I’m going to assume that
you will.

5. You’re not an IT department…
…unless you are.

6. Costs
• Software Licensing
• Hardware
• Time
• Staff

7. Hardware Options
• Do It Yourself
– Good for development/testing, challenging for
deployment
• Use the IT Department
– Requires an IT department, and a good
relationship
• Cloud-based Options
– Offers maximum control; cost models can be
complex.

8. Time Costs
• Up Front
– Learning curve
– Configuration / Integration / Data / Theming
– Testing
• Ongoing
– Upgrades / Security Patches
– Customization
– “Good Citizenship”

9. Staff
• Developer
• System Administrator
…these might be the same person, but they
are distinct skill sets.

10. Can’t I just train someone?
Yes, but…

11. Why do I need a developer?
• Increasing software complexity
• Increasing reliance on specialized tools
• Interaction with open source communities

12. Why do I need a sysadmin?
• Security
• Security
• Security
• Networking
• Integration support (authentication, etc.)

13. What am I looking for when
hiring for Open Source?
• Appropriate/relevant experience.
• Flexibility/ability to learn.
• Collaborative attitude/community
orientation.
• Understanding version control software is
a must!

14. What am I looking for in an
Open Source package?
• Ongoing activity
– Recent commits in source control (preferably
by multiple contributors)
– Evidence of a regular release schedule
– Responsiveness demonstrated in issue
tracker

15. What am I looking for in an
Open Source package?
• Configurability / Extensibility
– If you want flexibility without a lot of local
development, ensure that the software is
highly configurable.
– If you plan to make customizations, ensure
that good architecture supports them.

16. What am I looking for in an
Open Source package?
• Documentation
– Notes on configuration/extension.
– A clear changelog noting compatibility issues
across releases

17. What am I looking for in an
Open Source package?
• Community
– Well-defined mechanisms for reaching the
community
– Evidence of active community support

18. Contact Information
• Demian Katz
– Email: demian.katz@villanova.edu
– Skype: demian.katz
– Phone: 610-519-8745