Keep an Eye on the emerging Open-Source Analytics Stack
David Smith’s summary captures the tone of the piece:
For the business user, the key takeaway is that this data analytics stack, built on commodity hardware and leading-edge open-source software, and a is a lower-cost, higher-value alternative to the existing status quo solutions offered by traditional vendors. Just a couple of years ago, these types of robust analytic capabilities were only available through major vendors. Today, the open-source community provides everything that the traditional vendors provide — and more. With open-source, you have choice, support, lower costs and faster cycles of innovation. The open-source analytics stack is more than a handy collection of interoperable tools — it’s an intelligence platform.
In that sense, the open-source analytics stack is genuinely revolutionary.
I use and promote the use of open source software so don’t take this as being anti-open source.
I think the jury is still out on the lower-cost question.
In part because the notion that anyone who can use a keyboard and an open source package is qualified to do BI, will reap its own reward.
There was a rumor years ago that local bar associations actually sponsored the “How to Avoid Probate” kits.
Reasoning that self-help would only increase the eventual fees for qualified counsel.
Curious to see how much of the “lower cost” of open source software is absorbed by correcting amateurish mistakes (assuming they are even admitted).
Presuming that paid for software does not have amateurish mistakes. Is a big mistake in its own right. Difference is with open source you can pay someone to correct a mistake now if its important. Closed source you might be waiting years.
The question is can support companies for the open source stack develop fast enough.
Low cost is that a person does not have to pay to start using. More people using bigger the community you have to share tools with. Same applies to Closed source BI programs.
Again garbage in garbage out. Bad operators no matter how much you paid for program will give bad results.
Lot of the downsides point at open source that could possible blow cost out. Also blows costs out with closed source. That is the problem.
Open source is not just lower cost. If a machine dies you can set backup without having to pay out fees. This not not true for other BI software.
>>There was a rumor years ago that local bar associations actually sponsored the “How to Avoid Probate” kits.<<
Lot of cases bar associations have to be-careful. Lets say bar associations were found to be made taking all cases where able to Probate and not telling people how to avoid it. That would be an officence of wasting the courts time. That can equal disbaring.
So yes Bar associations world wide provide times like how to Avoid Probate kits. To keep there members out legal hell. It was on the shelf in the office and you were shown it that you did not read it that was not the lawyers problem. Yes evil slide of hand here.
Having a How to Avoid Probate on shelf allows lawyer to push more cases into probate and make more profit.
Comment by oiaohm — March 5, 2011 @ 10:04 pm
@olaohm: The problem I have seen with open source is that governments, particularly in less developed countries, choose open source for infrastructure when they lack the technical base to support it.
It would be one thing for me to create a critical medical information infrastructure here in Atlanta uses Postgres, and an array of other open source components. I can whistle up or fly in experts in a number of domains to create/maintain it.
Same is not true everywhere.
You are correct that same argument can be applied to commercial software.
But at least with commercial software there are more people (sometimes) familiar with the mistakes of the software.
My real point is that software cost is only one question that needs to be asked and answered in any project.
Comment by Patrick Durusau — March 6, 2011 @ 7:38 am