Bruce Perens, veteran of open source organizations including the Debian project and the Open Source Initiative, feels open source licensing has “failed,” speaking at this year’s “State of Open” convension (via ITPro). Specific shortcomings according to Perens include GPL circumvention, where companies place restrictions on end products that leverage open source code, which stifles innovation while only the companies get compensated.
Odoo’s Accounting Solution Reviewed by TechTarget
Odoo’s Accounting Solution Reviewed by TechTarget <2024-02-08 Thu> :finance:
While proprietary solutions such as Quickbooks dominate accounting departments, open source does offer some alternatives, generally as part of broader solutions such as ERPs. Odoo offers one of these, and TechTarget took a look at its Accounting function in a recent article. Benefits beyond just its openness include the ability to automate and its compatibility with financial institutions and other financial standards (such as invoice formats). However, it’s worth noting that even the self-hosted, open source version does require a per-user fee.
FOSS Solution Features Among Best Fixed Asset Tracking Applications
Tech.co’s list of the best fixed asset tracking solutions includes an open source option among other proprietary solutions. Snipe-IT, which offers both hosted and on-premises deployment, was noted for its user friendliness, customizability, and RFID support. It scored a solid 4.2/5 rating, besting a number of the included for-pay competitors.
Computerworld Details DIY Mobile Device Management and Its Open Source Options
An article at Computerworld looks at the question of do-it-yourself mobile device management (MDM).
One of the primary questions is precisely what platforms need to be included, with open source comprising good options beyond Apple-only environments. While it doesn’t detail their features, the piece does end with a list of five open source MDM vendors, including Fleet, which we highlighted last month.
Proton Announces Open Source Password Manager
Proton, a privacy-focused services for consumers and enterprises, has launched its password management solution for business (via 9to5Mac). The open source password manager was launched for consumers in November, and the new version adds enterprise features such as user administration and sharing controls. The solution supports desktop browsers Chrome, Firefox, Brave, and Edge, as well as Android and iOS.
Weaveworks Closure Creates Doubt Regarding Open Core Model
A TechTarget article reporting the closure of Weaveworks casts some doubt on the validity of the “open core” model. The company, which created the open source Flex continuous delivery (CD) solutions for Kubernetes, with a focus on GitOps as the configuration method. Analysts covering the event noted that although the business was built on a solid idea that’s still in use today, good ideas don’t always make for successful business models. The article also references recent moves away from open core, such as HashiCorp’s license update and Red Hat’s change in how its RHEL source code is published.
Techround eCommerce review Includes Open Source Mainstays
In a roundup of 10 top ecommerce platforms by Techround, open source options featured among the proprietary solutions and cloud services. WooCommerce made an appearance, cited for its end-to-end management of both physical and digital products, as was OpenCart, with a highlight on its extensibility.
Magento appeared by way of its commercial version Adobe Commerce.
Spiceworks Publishes Read-worthy Overview of Open Source
While you may have heard of this thing called open source, you may not know exactly what it means, or how it can affect you and the software you use. Spiceworks published a solid overview to open source, including its definitions, pros, and cons. While the discussion of licensing is a little simplistic, it’s nonetheless a good place to start to learn about the wonderful world of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS).
Microsoft’s About-Face on Open Source Contributed to 10x Valuation Growth
An article at Forbes (by way of CNBC and Slashdot) details how Microsoft, under current CEO Satya Nadella, has grown its valution ten times to $3.06 trillion. Nadella, who replaced CEO Steve Ballmer in 2014, ushered in an era of increased collaboration, including a significant change in attitude regarding open source. Under Ballmer, open source was labeled “viral software” that couldn’t be trusted and would do harm to businesses that use it. But now the company makes direct open source contributions, while Linux is the top OS running on Microsoft’s Azure cloud service. Certainly a number of factors have contributed to Microsoft’s growth over these past ten years (such as acquisitions like LinkedIn, Mojang, and GitHub), but it’s safe to say that embracing open source has also helped Microsoft along the way.
Leading Open Source CMS Developers Found Open Web Alliance
The communities behind the leading open source CMS projects–Drupal, Joomla, TYPO3, and WordPress–have founded the Open Web Alliance (via Drupal). The primary goals of the Alliance are to promote open source content management systems as well as enhance collaboration between the projects, with an eye towards providing an alternative to proprietary systems that reduce users’ freedom. It’s worth noting that the Alliance’s members are the open source projects supporting their respective systems, not the commercial entities (such as Automattic for WordPress and Acquia for Drupal).
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