Putting All Your Chips on the Proprietary Solution? Open Source May be a Smarter Bet

Posted by: Jessica Richmond, Managing Director Mar 09, 2011 2 Comments

Recently, Metro disclosed that it had unfortunately fallen into the proprietary systems “trap” with its SmarTrip software application—the short story being that Metro’s fare card vendor went under and took the proprietary fare card technology with them. And although I’m sure that Metro officials analyzed the risks and opportunities before signing up with their vendor for SmarTrip support, I can also speculate that they may have missed a few key considerations inherent in dealing with proprietary technology: How long will the vendor likely be around to support the technology, and what is the plan for solving issues should the unexpected occur or things go bad?

Reading the article about Metro reminded me of a recent presentation I gave at a Philadelphia Drupal meetup. After the presentation, a few of the audience members asked me why I felt so strongly about recommending Drupal for government agencies. And while I could talk for hours on the many reasons that Drupal is awesome—ranging from stability to flexibility and certainly the benefit of the 30,000+ Drupal developer network—the primary reason is that open-source Drupal is widely used and represents the best interest of government.

At Rock Creek, we believe that proposing solutions that are in the best interest of our clients is our most important job and responsibility. That’s why choosing open source platforms such as Drupal often makes so much sense. In many situations, we’ve chosen Drupal as a way to help ensure that our clients are never locked into one provider (and that includes us!) and that the client can make the best decisions for their organization and select vendors from the more than 30,000 Drupal developers around the world. Access to 5,000+ contributed modules, a strong base of support, and a solid platform that is continuously being improved by founders and the community ensure that Drupal will be around for our clients for the long-term. And most importantly? Our clients own their data and they have zero risk should the initial developer go out of business.

On many occasions, I’ve counseled clients and potential clients about the risks and rewards of using proprietary solutions. Does proprietary software serve a valid purpose in some situations? Absolutely—and we’ve seen situations where a proprietary solution was the best choice. But when making a decision about going to a proprietary system, clients need to consider many factors, some of which aren’t completely transparent when engaging with a proprietary systems vendor. When evaluating a proprietary option, I recommend asking the following questions:

• What fees will you pay? How inclusive of a package are you getting?
• Who can you call if you need support? And how much is that going to cost you?
• How often will you need upgrades, and what are the associated costs?
• Are there hidden costs? Connection fees, maintenance, upgrades, licensing, support? Make sure to read the fine print of the contract before signing.

We also advise clients to consider indirect risks associated with proprietary solutions:

• Is the platform stable?
• Is this solution reputable? Who is using this, and what do other users say?
• How long has the provider been in business? Are they likely to be in business in three years? In five years?
• What happens to your site/application if they go out of business?

Also, of key importance, clients need to understand what they own, what the vendor owns, and what that means for their business model:

• Who owns the data?
• Who owns the design?
• Who owns the contacts/social network (if applicable)?
• What access to your data will the provider have? How can you ensure that it is secure?

There is a time and place to use proprietary solutions—and when the arrangements are made in the best interest of the client, these can be highly successful engagements. There are also situations where an open source solution like Drupal offers the best potential outcome. The most important thing to focus on is looking at the advantages and disadvantages of proprietary and open source solutions, and then selecting the one that is best for the client and their particular needs.

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Jessica Richmond

Managing Director

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