We can see with open source solution that CapEx cost reduces as license costs potentially diminish, while OpEx cost rises as
the support and skilled technical manpower required to deploy and maintain the open source solution. We see CapEx rise in popularity, which reflects the license and support contract costs for a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software solution, while OpEx falls as the burden for patching, upgrading, enhancing, and securing the software rests with the vendor, not the enterprise IT department.

This is not a 1:1 tradeoff, but something you must consider across your enterprise and it's not a short-term decision; it has long-term, structural, and strategic implications. If you are struggling to hire or retain staff, converting to an open source solution where you are relying on your intellectual property and technical prowess to make the solution work could put you in a very precarious situation. You may be held captive by consultants or outsourcing companies that promise to hold your hand as you approach production operations. Those costs rarely fall over time. Another option to consider is a hybrid solution: commercially-supported open source distributions or commercialized versions of open source projects. Another option to explore is the two-tiered option: some companies offer a community version, which is their open source project offered at no cost, and offer a second version, typically labeled enterprise, which is a sold product that offers a more robust version of the software and is fully supported. We can go with open source to build our strategy and make the right decisions for business. Therefore, to start with the basics, we must know where and how our application developers or IT staff are leveraging open source and understand the decisions behind their choice, including the benefits as well as the gaps.

As our team starts to engage in open source projects, arm them with guidelines so that they feel confident in their contributions. We should have a single point of contact for questions about IP, license types and compliance, and best practices with a safety first option. If we want to create a new open source project or engage at a deeper level in an existing project, be sure to understand the strategic intent. This is a long-term commitment and requires an investment in talent and time, or our efforts will flounder as they're time-consuming, distracting, cost money, and can be annoying. We have to evaluate the choice between an open source solution and a proprietary, vendor-backed and -sold solution, as it is a strategic choice, not just a purchasing decision. We need to weigh the pros and cons of CapEx and OpEx, and carefully evaluate our long-term commitment and ability to hire staff. We can discuss to understand the costs and benefits along with the technology curve.