Open source vs. proprietary cloud - which option works best for enterprises? Here are the parameters companies consider in the debate. Read on.
Open source vs. proprietary cloud - which option works best for enterprises? Both cloud services have the objective of providing the end-users with products or software. In some cases, users prefer the idea that the cloud service is backed by a tech giant with a wide array of options to choose from. Many others prefer the flexibility and interoperability open source provides. There is no specific right or wrong here - it all depends on individual company requirements and goals. For companies who do make the choice, here are the parameters they look at in the open source vs. proprietary environment debate.
Open Source vs. Proprietary Cloud - Pricing
The most significant advantage of most open source models is that they are usually free - you won't have to pay usage or licensing charges. Some proprietary cloud models may start off as free packages for you, but the customer ends up having to pay some way or the other. Another major aspect of differentiation in open source vs. proprietary is upgrades and updates. With proprietary products minor updates could be free, but customers have to pay for major ones. On the other hand, the collaborative nature of open source ensures that all upgrades and updates are free and accessible to everyone. With open source, the core ideology behind it is community and global technological development, not profiting.
Vendor Lock-ins
With proprietary software, vendor lock-ins are often a concern. The term means that the product used with a proprietary vendor cannot be taken or used through another vendor. Knowledge transfer among competitive companies is considered taboo. In contrast, cloud products in open source are flexible and allow customers to switch between providers if need be, without any hassles. Multi-environment compatibility is also a specialty of open source.
Source Code Modifications
Proprietary cloud products don't allow any changes to their source code. This is advantageous for companies who want to keep their service stable, without any modifications for longer times. Only the product owner can make source code changes if need be. Open source cloud products allow for changes to the source code and result in higher flexibility. If a new feature needs to be added to the open source product for smoother functionality, it can be done with the help of a developer team quickly.
Security and Performance
With open source, you have an entire community of industry professionals developing and updating the products constantly. This collective operation results in better security. Proprietary products can be safe, but they don't have that perspective diversity in a broader community. Data breaches can happen in either environment - just that the way things are resolved works differently, too.
User Documentation
Finally, another essential attribute of open source - product documentation. With an open source way of documentation, the knowledge is accessible to a wider audience, unlike proprietary products. Hence, open source documentation leads to better knowledge transfer and learning opportunities to users worldwide, regardless of whether they are paying customers or not.
VEXXHOST Cloud Solutions
At VEXXHOST, we are proud to be running open source-based cloud solutions to customers and associate with four major open source foundations and contribute to the growth of the industry and technology. We provide OpenStack-based clouds with the help of projects continuously developed and updated from these communities, including public clouds and dedicated and highly secure private cloud environments,
VEXXHOST is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, and we have a special gift for you. Take advantage of our limited-time deal just to set up a one-time, OpenStack-based private cloud deployment - at just $15000! The cloud will be running on the latest OpenStack release, Wallaby, which allows you to run Kubernetes and VMs in the same environment, and can be deployed in your own data centers with your hardware. Furthermore, all these will be deployed and tested in under a month!
What are you waiting for? Learn more!
