[Solar-general] The Power of Open Source, by Globant

[Martín Olivera]

http://www.industryweek.com/articles/the_power_of_open_source_19742.aspx?SectionID=4
 The Power of Open Source Open Source opens the door for companies that are
looking to keep on growing despite the current environment.

 By Martin Migoya Globant, CEO, Globant

Aug. 12, 2009

It is a fact that many corporations are starting to consider Open Source
technologies as a way to reduce IT spending while taking advantage of
existing technologies. It is also a fact that more companies are widening
Open Source reach to projects that wouldn't have been considered before,
opening more possibilities for the community to spread. For those who are
unfamiliar with the term "Open Source," firstly let me explain a bit more
what this is about. In the 90s, the IT community started to show increased
interest in freely shared software. As a result, the Open Source Initiative
was born and, as described in their website (opensource.org) it is
considered "a development method for software that harnesses the power of
distributed peer review and transparency of process. The promise of open
source is better quality, higher reliability, more flexibility, lower cost
and an end to predatory vendor lock-in." Basically, it allows anyone to
access freely to an application code and reuse it under certain conditions.
Through the years I have worked in the IT industry -- and I have been around
here for quite some time, I have seen that Open Source is becoming more and
more popular at every level and sector. Many tech professionals are aware of
its cost benefits and thus are suggesting the use of Open Source for new
projects. *Open Source in 2009?* Moreover, as a recent article in Wall
Street and Technology<http://www.wallstreetandtech.com/it-infrastructure/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=MY5FNLLMMTLS2QSNDLOSKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=217400216&_requestid=43992>)
mentions, with the current economic situation cutting IT budgets, even more
institutions are reconsidering their attitudes toward open source
technology. Think about yourself and the company you work for: How many
projects did you want to launch but needed to be put off until next year?
How many business opportunities you believe you could have embraced if your
budget had been friendlier? I firmly believe that Open Source opens the door
for companies that are looking to keep on growing despite the current
environment. It is spreading its influence among different kinds of
companies. Some of the reasons behind this trend include:

   - It is the perfect ally for budget management
   - Corporations leveraging in Open Source technologies over the past few
   years have demonstrated their ability to move quicker and at lower costs.
   That's the case of those firms that, for instance, run SAP on Red Hat open
   source platform.
   - It allows organizations to be on the edge of innovation and to stay
   ahead of the market, such as Skype, that is now using
PostgreSQL<https://developer.skype.com/SkypeGarage/DbProjects/SkypePostgresqlWhitepaper>
   - It is extremely flexible. A company with the right skills and
   experience may blend Open Source with existing proprietary software,
   therefore taking advantage of already developed code and further reducing
   costs.

Six years ago, I founded Globant together with 3 friends. Since it was born,
the company has helped many of its customers, such as telcos, media or
coming from the finance, high tech or the travel industry, profit from this
rational blend of Open Source with commercial software. It doesn't matter
the industry they came from or the type of solution they were seeking. Our
team has developed both products for large audiences and small scale
internal solutions, and they have all had excellent results. I always
believed in the power of Open Source, and these experiences turned Globant
into an expert and an active player of this movement, contributing with
thousands of code lines to the Open Source community for projects like
Drupal Modules, Dedo, Dogo, Rever and Collaborative Postcards. I believe
that opportunities are wide opened for those corporations that want to
continue working on innovative products and still remain on the boundaries
of their budget.

*Martin Migoya Globant is CEO and Co-founder of Globant. Globant combines a
rational blend of Open-Source with proprietary software, which brings
flexibility, mitigates risk and ultimately reduces costs.
**www.globant.com*<http://www.globant.com/>
-- 
opino en http://blog.martinolivera.com.ar
skype: hablatincho
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