Teams everywhere are adopting open source technology. But there's a difference between open source and enterprise open source. 

Here, we break down the considerations for open source in the enterprise. And we share best practices for leveraging the benefits of open source with the stability of enterprise support.

Consider this your guide to open source in the enterprise.

Read along or jump to the section that interests you most:

What Is Enterprise Open Source?

Enterprise open source means open source software that is backed by enterprise support for quality, security, and the software lifecycle. If you are dealing with quality, security, and lifecycle support on your own, it's not enterprise open source. 

Enterprise Open Source vs. Open Source

The difference between enterprise open source and open source in general is support and services.

Community open source software (OSS), also known as Free and Open Source Software, or FOSS, is software with source code that is open to the public to learn from and edit. The software is released with a license that gives users the right to manipulate how the program works and runs. It can also be freely redistributed after being altered. 

Enterprise open source is open source software backed by enterprise support and services. This is also sometimes referred to as Commercial Open Source (COSS).

Compare Benefits of Community vs. Commercial Open Source >>

 

The State of Open Source in 2024

The 2024 Open Source Report from OpenLogic provides data on the most popular open source technologies used today, and sheds light on the barriers and benefits teams experience when adopting open source technologies.

This report is a must-read for anybody working with, or considering, open source software for their organization.

Get the Report

Considerations For Enterprise Open Source Solutions

Security and Compliance 

Security is a major concern in enterprise open source. It's critical to have a security team behind your open source software to stay on top of security issues and vulnerabilities. Without it, your open source software could be open to security risks that could harm your organization.

As part of this, open source in the enterprise usually requires implementing safety measures, such as single sign-on. There may also be audit and compliance concerns that an enterprise will face with open source. 

Security and Compliance Resources

Complexity

There is also additional complexity to enterprise open source that a general open source user doesn't need to consider. This includes migrations, storage capacity, and other technical considerations.

Building a Successful Enterprise Open Source Strategy

There are several benefits to open source software can such as cost savings, increased agility, and innovative technical capabilities.

To reap these benefits in open source in the enterprise, you need to implement a set of best practices. Establishing your open source strategy will help you overcome and mitigate the risks that come with adopting open source resources.

What kind of support do you need? How can you avoid vendor lock-in? 

More on Enterprise Open Source Strategy >>

What is your open source strategy?

Prefer to connect with an expert architect to establish your enterprise open source strategy? The team at OpenLogic by Perforce is ready to help you. Talk to an open source expert.

Open Source Governance

In the on-demand webinar "Why You Needed an Open Source Governance Policy...Yesterday" Rod Cope (Chief Technology Officer, Perforce Software) and Ido Benmoshe (VP of Product Management, Perforce Software) share recommendations on how to reduce risk around OSS adoption by implementing an open source governance policy. 

Watch Now

Quick Note on Open Source Licensing

Open source licenses set the conditions of how software code can be shared and the level to which the authors are protected. If your enterprise is going to use any open source software, you must be aware of the liabilities you will be held to. 

Common Enterprise Open Source Technologies That Work Together

As you consider various open source solutions in the enterprise, it is beneficial to consider the technologies that will work together. The goal is to choose technologies that best meet your needs for every layer of your software stack (e.g., your databases, middleware, platforms, application runtimes, and monitoring).

For many organizations, their current software stacks have extensive vendor lock-in requirements. The idea of migrating to another solution is daunting. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be this way. Below are some of the most common technologies we recommend. Learn why and how to migrate to save on costs and free your team up to innovate.

Enterprise Open Source Migrations

Migrations are an important consideration in open source in the enterprise. Here are our best practices for enterprises migrating to open source.

Migrating from Oracle JDK to OpenJDK

Oracle now charges for its Java JDK subscriptions. Your organization may be looking into OpenJDK as an alternative to eliminate Java SE subscription costs. The OpenJDK development kit is the solution as it is feature parity with the Oracle codebase.

Resources:

Java Tips for Oracle JDK to OpenJDK Migration >>

Migrating from RHEL or CentOS to Another Enterprise Linux Distribution 

CentOS was the free, functionally equivalent to Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) but all versions are end of life as of June 2024. If you are looking for a free, enterprise-viable CentOS alternative, our experts can help. We also provide extended CentOS support so you can take the time you need to plan your migration while keeping your deployments secure. 

Resources:

Migrating from Monolith to Kubernetes

Kubernetes has become the leader in open source container orchestration. In your current orchestration, you may be charged by the number of specific computes you have running. With Kubernetes, you don’t have to use all your resources at the same time. You can automate resources based on the necessity to save your money.

Resources to learn more:

Ready to Migrate to Kubernetes?

Free Datasheet: Kubernetes Foundation Service

 

Get Expert Help For Enterprise Open Source Solutions

Switching to new technologies is tough. And dealing with multiple vendors for support is even tougher. But you can get everything — enterprise support, software creating freedom, and cost-savings — from one open source support provider.

OpenLogic by Perforce delivers comprehensive support and guidance for hundreds of free community open source projects. You can confidently adapt them to boost agility, efficiency, and savings.

It’s time to take advantage of open source in the enterprise. Looking for guidance or enterprise support for your open source projects? Connect with one of our expert architects from the team at OpenLogic.

Connect With An Expert