Capturing the value created by using open source for a project within an enterprise client is influenced by many factors- evaluating total cost of ownership, ease of use and customization and extending the source code to new applications. However, I believe another aspect of value is in viewing a move to open source, as creating a real option within your IT department.

The various open source communities have been an integral part of computing for over two decades. They provide a platform for development, as well as create a continuous mode of improvement.  However, I believe that the biggest value add from open source is the ability to create flexible extensions and improvements custom tailored to whatever environment it is deployed. Granted, these deployments require specialized expertise, but so do commercial packages- and those packages really do not allow, much less encourage creative enhancements.

We would like to express our gratitude to Tao Starbow, his team and UC Berkeley for all of their outstanding work putting on the Bay Area Drupal Camp.     

The thought of using an open source platform for a professional deployment within a demanding enterprise brings to mind a harrying array of possibilities: programmers unable to see the business issues and work as part of a team, a lack of documentation, hacked code and non-existent project management skills. Well, not anymore.