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Going with Open Source

Going with open source is not a simple task, nor is it inexpensive. Your company should have a clear, long-term vision of the business goals of such a project. Because the commitment is expensive and lengthy, the primary business goals that make sense are strategic ones. If you find yourself thinking of using open source as a tactic, you should think very hard because when the time for the tactic is over, you might have to pay a price out of balance with the tactical gain you realized.

We have provided here a good general idea of the questions to ask and considerations to take into account when deciding whether to go with open source and preparing to execute the decision. If you've read this book and absorbed the philosophy, principles, and practices of open source, you should be able to work your way through any other questions or issues that come up that we haven't covered.