Mr. Devasia Kurian, MD, myOpenSourceStore
Q. What is the role of Open Source technology in the industry today?
Liberal licensing policy makes Open Source accessible free of charge along with the source code, which can then be customized by the user as per requirements. It drastically reduces costs, less vendor dependence, reduced piracy/copyright infringements and increasing the growth of knowledge-based society. The key advantages Open Source offers are: No vendor Lock-in, Abundant Support, Simple License Management, cost effectiveness and easy customization. There is no entry barrier and this is an attempt to free from proprietary technology.
Open source technology will revolutionize the current software business model by replacing the existing software vendors who deploy a large capex based model. Open source technology will bring in a services-based model with a reasonable opex and zero capex. The industry will welcome this movement wholeheartedly.
Q. Where one can find the right Open Source software?
Since there are numerous businesses / individuals offering Open Source Software, finding the right Open Source Software is key. When there is a wide variety of resources at user’s disposal and limited understanding of open source model, the enterprises finds it difficult to make the right choice.
Specifically designed to transform and accelerate the use of Open Source Software, myOpenSourceStore offers an integrated platform for top rated Open Source solutions in a wide range of categories, based on their usage, popularity & capability. The expert team clearly identifies, filters and categorizes these into numerous categories (new categories are added constantly) suited to the specific needs of each user.
Q. Are Indian Enterprises open to adapt Open source software?
As the market is becoming mature, Organizations in India have slowly started accepting the advantages of open source platforms and encouraging collaboration. With the increasing adoption of business applications by the Indian small and medium businesses and cost being a key constraint in the adoption of applications development tools, Open Source solution offers an interesting alternative.
Q. What is the biggest problem that the Open Source software industry is facing in terms of adoption?
As we see, even though Open Source Software comes with low cost and scalability advantages, the adoption rate is low. Awareness and support are one key issue that needs to be addressed. It is easy to download software for free but it requires support in terms of seamless installation, customization & implementation.
Q. Which Verticals / Industry segments are adopting Open Source?
There is a wide spread acceptance of Open Source Software today. Enterprises and even the government bodies are giving a strong push in development, support and promotion of Open Source Software, to make IT accessible and affordable to all industry verticals and businesses.
The basic software to start with is the operating system itself. A good Linux desktop is as good as windows operating system. Usage of Linux on desktops can save lakhs of rupees for many organizations. For telephony, we have AsteriskTM, which can support IP PBX in any large organization or call center. vtiger is another CRM, which is very powerful and suffice for all enterprise needs. Further ERP requirement can be completely fulfilled by Open ERP. Mozilla browser, Joomla, Zencart etc are examples for further open source products.
Q. What is the significance of Technical support for Open Source?
Lack of support is a key concern and it is largely responsible for slow adoption. To make the installation experience seamless myOpenSourceStore is also backed by a strong open source expert community around the globe. On customers demand, the expert team helps in customizing the software to suit the requirement, provides best-practice advice and hands-on assistance with a wide range of technical help to optimize open source software installations.
Q. What are the measures that can be taken to drive adoption of Open Source?
Open Source adoption has to be part of Organizations IT Strategy. The companies have to work towards creating an end-to-end solution comprising of product selection and support for installation and maintenance. It is important to know how the Open Source Software will be used within the business environment in terms of professional implementation and has to be seen with a clear focus.
Q. What are the future plans and programs of myOpenSourcestore in India?
Our idea is to unleash the potential of Open Source software and bridge the gap by bringing it closer to the user as we continue to broaden its presence and create an environment that can efficiently increase business growth and reduce costs. The portal would primarily act as a catalyst for the increased consideration and non-intrusive adoption of Open Source Software.
We are relentlessly focused on adding & displaying the best selection of Open Source Software backed by strong technical support, making it convenient for customers to select, download and implement.