Re: New forum topic - Open Control
Feb 20, 2002 2:59 pm, by Curt Wuollet
Text :
> Open source, Linux in this case, doesn't make an integrator feel as if
> they have been unduly or unnecessarily charged for features added after
> purchase. (I'm not very clear why this is a problem. You as system
> integrators merely pass this cost on to your clients, if they, your
> clients, want these extra features. If you want them, at your direct cost,
> it must be because you think these features will save time and/or effort.
> When I was in the business, software and hardware were fused, what we
> purchased for the project would last for years, regardless what the vendor
> did with that software.)

Or you can do the work and keep the money yourself and your customer will be happy that you are passing much less cost along to them. Taking the vendor out of the equation should mean more money for the integrator.

> One vendor's proprietary software does not play well with others. Linux
> doesn't have this problem, because you can change the infrastructure to
> accommodate mixing of systems.(This may be my answer to the above
> question.)

And you can change or add those little things that the customer decides they want and it's all billable time.

> Both, Linux and proprietary software, allow the user unlimited access to
> the elements that make up the control solutions.

And the user can potentially add elements or write around those roadblocks that appear. It depends on who user is.

> Is this a reasonable summary? If so it appears to me that, other than the
> comfort level of having direct control over the software, exercised or
> not, the real problem I have been hearing is a vendor problem, not
> necessarily a proprietary versus open source problem as such. Except, of
> course for the run time costs.

Pretty much so, except that the flexibility is worth a lot more. It solves a lot of problems that relate to how the business is done now. And the costs can be dramatically lower as many things that sell bridges adapters, basic modules, etc. can be done in software. And you can simply do more and say yes more often.

> Is this a fair statement?

As I said, It's a much more powerful tool for building solutions.

Regards

cww
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