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During his opening keynote speech, SugarCRM c-founder and CEO John Roberts touched on a number of very relevant points regarding the present state and future of Open Source software in general and SugarCRM in particular.

Traditionally, Open Source software has been low cost alternative. The notion of 'value' did not really enter the frame, because the software is free ?  Certainly, in difficult times like we currently experiencing. cost savings are critical so the implementation and use of Open Source alternatives are on the rise. However, for SugarCRM it has never been about building the lowest cost alternative, but about building the best software. Over the next five  years the main battle is not going to be 'how can you cut costs', but 'how can you create value for your customer´.

In the pre-Open Source era there were only two choices: buy a out-of-the-box package or build a CRM application self. Traditional software companies have created (their) value trough dependency but in this model it is all about vendor value, not customer value. The Open Source approach however is to let the customer make all the choices and not the vendor because since you get the source code and this code is based on open standards, there is no software lock-in.

John Roberts is of the opinion that combining Open Source and cloud computing is the way forward. I must admin that I agree. I honestly think  that vendor lock-in and proprietary systems are a doomed and will have to adapt their business model. Security lies in the community, and a healthy community is the best guarantee for secure and stable applications. To survive during the following couple of very difficult years it is key NOT to rule through scarcity, but rather though abundance using the community to create value for the customer.

In a discussion thread the questions was askes which is the best Open Source CRM application available. Many people suggestion either SugarCRM or vTiger as the two leading contenders. The main complaint against these - mainly SugarCRM - was that customizing the application required either above average PHP knowledge or paying for an enhanced version. 

As an Open Source evangelist of the first hour, I am a bit dissapointed to see (and not only in this thread) that the one thing people focus on when discussing Open Source options is the interpretation of the word 'Free'. Most people seem to associate 'free' with 'nothing to pay' which in the fundamental Open Source spirit is not correct. 'Free' is short for 'Freedom', the possibility to get the source code, adapt and change it the way you want and use the application for any purpose you see fit.

In most cases there will be a cost associated with this. It might not be in form of a licence fee but assuming that there is no cost associated with Open Source software is very shortsighted indeed. I have run my business exclusively on Open Source software and there is indeed a cost associated with it (e.g. I have to pay my accountant more then the standard fee because I use GNUCash, instead of his standard Windows based package).

So dismissing an Open Source solution because you have to pay for some customisations and changes is not really the right attitude. Instead you should be rejoycing the fact that the developers of the product give you the chance to do that. If you think that is not fair, by all means chose a propriatary option and spend your last dollar on licence, consulting and support fees to get the thing working in the first place with a more then even chance that it won't do the job like you want either.

Open Source is all about choice, but you have to choose it for the right reasons.

I finally got my EeePC !! Actually I bought one of each and now have 700 and a 900 model. Both models are extremely impressive, with the 900 model turning out to be are really usable device. Where the 700 model, due to its small screen, has a somewhat 'gadgetty' feel to it, the 900 model is perfectly suited to its intended use. It is a great, ultra-portable device with all relevant software pre-installed. Everything works out of the box and there are plenty of forums out there to help the novice linux/eeepc user to tweak the nifty little device to its own wants and needs. Check out the next issue of the K.IT.S newsletter , where I will give a more detailed review of my first user experiences.