Charting a Course in Open Source BI

April 11, 2008 by Kevin.Haas.

With the rapidly escalating capabilities of open source business intelligence software, many organizations are taking a look and exploring the technologies to see if it might be the right next step for them. But when initiating an open source business intelligence project, there are a few differences that are worth noting when compared with how proprietary BI applications are selected. The very nature of open source changes the dynamics of evaluating and acquiring software, and it’s worth understanding the different approach.

When evaluating an open source business intelligence (OSBI) project, there are some differences from proprietary BI applications selections that are worth noting. As with proprietary offerings, make sure you understand your priorities. Different OSBI applications are better at one area or another, so be certain you’ve captured what’s most important to you, and what’s next.

Be sure to do your homework, and understand what the products and the suite have to offer. Since these applications are modern by design, they are very lean, purpose-built from the ground up. On the flip side, though, also recognize they are often the composition of separate projects merged together under a common platform.

For an evaluation, you can explore the freely available software yourself. Open source software is ready for you to download and install, and you can see for yourself where it works for you. Don’t expect open source providers to participate in drawn out demos or to wine and dine you. In the open source world, you control your evaluation. And don’t be put off by some of the up-front complexity here. Most of these applications are very powerful under the covers, and some of that is not shielded from the user. It requires some technical know-how to understand the applications, but certainly, the power is there.

To prove it out, start with a pilot. As with proprietary applications, this is a good rule of thumb. But the real difference in the open source world is that you don’t have the barrier of acquiring the latest software to initiate a pilot. Since the software is typically available under General Public Licenses, the barriers are removed.

And as you complete a successful pilot, get the training, and get a subscription from the provider. There are many benefits that this education and support relationship will provide your organization in the long term, and it’s worth doing.

But don’t forget through all of this, the basics still apply. Good project leadership, engagement from both business and technical audiences, a solid staff, and sound data modeling and design will pay big dividends in your BI initiative.

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