Open-source eValuation
eWEEK Labs' tips for testing the viability of open-source applications in your own organization.
Identify where open source can be successful - While many users
may not be ready for open-source productivity applications, chances
are such apps could be effectively used on manufacturing plant floors,
in warehouses and in retail locations; identify several potential
scenarios for open source within your enterprise.
Compare attributes of the open-source alternatives with your
needs - Consider an application's functionality, cost, market share,
support and maintenance issues, reliability, performance, usability,
and security.
Develop a pilot program - Give a user test group the opportunity
to experiment with the new application at work and even at home;
ask users to record their thoughts on training, compatibility and
support issues.
Build a core of knowledgeable users - IT managers with user advocates
will have an easier time persuading their organizations to make
the move to something new; these users also will be able to help
lower training costs at organizations that choose to conduct training
in-house.
Develop a training program - Determine whether users will be trained
in-house and how much time will be necessary for users to perform
daily functions while training without productivity loss (or, at
least, without significant productivity loss); keep in mind that
some applications will take longer to learn than others.
Source: eWEEK reporting
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