Is it Time for Your Company to Embrace Open Source?

Open source software has proved incredibly popular in the personal computing space with programs like Mozilla’s Firefox and Apache’s OpenOffice offering realistic competition to their proprietary counterparts. But in corporate settings it is much harder to find open source adoption. The reasons for that are complicated, but in almost all cases they boil down to a misconception that this type of software is underpowered, vulnerable, and incapable. The reality, however, is that open source software is the alternative to proprietary products, not the pale imitation of them. So, is it time your company started using open source software and contributing code to open source communities? Ask yourself these questions:

Are You Struggling to Attract Top Talent?

By and large, today’s developers, especially young developers, support the principles of open source and are actively engaged in the community. Positioning your company as one that shares those values is a great way to differentiate yourself from the competition, frame what is unique about your company culture, and attract the IT stars of tomorrow.

Are Your IT Resources Overtaxed?

Adopting open source software is an effective way to stretch your IT resources a little further. Since much of this software is available for free, it immediately cuts down on costs. But it also comes supported by a rich external development community, meaning that many of the issues that would traditionally fall to your IT team are handled by others. It proves to be a win win.

Are You Looking for a Better Way to Interview?

Evaluating an IT candidate’s true skill is difficult when you only have a resume and cover letter. That’s why companies are increasingly using technical interviewing strategies and asking candidates to perform specific assignments either before or during the interview. Having them work on a piece of open source code is a great way to see what they can do that also generates something your company can actually use afterward.

Are You Trying to Close a Skills Gap?

There are lots of ways to close a skills gap, but the easiest and often most effective is to simply train up the staff you already have. Working on open source projects is a great way for developers and engineers to pick up new skills and refine the ones they already have while contributing to projects that are more than just empty training exercises.

The benefits of utilizing open source software in the corporate setting extend farther and deeper than most realize. If your company is not meaningfully committed to open source, you are simply giving up on a unique strategic advantage. Find the staff you need to make the most of this software by contacting The Squires Group.


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