We Should Prioritize Open Source Tooling & Partnerships - Opinion
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This post advocates for UNICEF's prioritization of open source tooling and partnerships as a strategy to better achieve its mission of improving children's lives worldwide. Benefits, Value Proposition, and Reasoning behind this strategic move, as well as a discussion on how open source can serve as a value add-on rather than a constraint on business models.
The Open Source Advantage
Cost-Effectiveness and Flexibility
Open source tools are generally free or low-cost, making them particularly appealing for non-profit organizations like UNICEF. The 2020 Red Hat survey showed that 53% of respondents identified cost savings as a primary motivator for using open source technologies 1.
Accelerated Innovation
Open source projects benefit from the collective knowledge and skills of a global community of contributors. According to the 2021 GitHub Octoverse report, over 72 million developers contributed to open source projects in the past year 2, driving rapid innovation and improvement.
Customization and Interoperability
Open source tools offer greater flexibility, allowing organizations to tailor solutions to their unique needs. Furthermore, open standards enable seamless integration between systems and applications, streamlining operations and enhancing collaboration with partner organizations.
Open Source aligns with UNICEF's Values
Knowledge Sharing and Capacity Building
By embracing open source, UNICEF demonstrates its commitment to sharing knowledge and resources for the greater good. Furthermore, open source tools empower local partners to build their technical capacities and develop context-specific solutions, supporting UNICEF's long-term goal of sustainable development.
Transparency and Accountability
Open source projects promote transparency and accountability, values that are essential for UNICEF as a global organization entrusted with public funds.
Open Source is a Business Model Catalyst
Open source technology does not restrict business models; rather, it offers opportunities for organizations to create value-added services. Companies such as Canonical (the company behind Ubuntu) and Elastic have successfully built their businesses around open source technologies by offering services like consulting, support, and customization. By engaging with open source partners, UNICEF can tap into this expertise while maintaining its commitment to cost-effectiveness and innovation. Open source is more important than ever. The same Red Hat's study found 82% of IT leaders are more likely to select a vendor who contributes to the open source community. IT leaders trust the security of open source. 89% see enterprise open source as more secure or as secure as proprietary software
So..
Prioritizing open source tooling and partnerships provides UNICEF with significant benefits, including cost savings, accelerated innovation, customization, and interoperability. Additionally, this approach aligns with UNICEF's values and mission, promoting knowledge sharing, capacity building, and transparency. Open source should be viewed not as a limitation on business models but as a catalyst for value creation, enabling UNICEF to make a greater impact on children's lives worldwide.