With open-source, you have full access to the source code of the platform
you choose. This allows you to add in functionality, embed it with your existing
applications, and actively participate in a development community that is oftentimes
very large and around the world. There is little initial cost to open-source software in
terms of purchasing, as open-source is free. The cons are that there is typically a cost
associated with finding individuals who are knowledgeable in open-source.
Introduction
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Sometimes open-source software is not very user friendly. Finally, often there is little
to no support for open-source products. This is not the case with large open-source
projects, however. With large active development communities, and usually with
open-source projects such as Linux, Eclipse, and Mozilla/Firefox, available answers
are only an internet search away.
The Need for Open-Source Reporting
Some things are better illustrated with a story. So let me begin this with what
brought me to the world of open-source business intelligence. My story starts on
a late Sunday evening in 2001. At that time, I was a student intern for a midsized
network security monitoring operation BATC (Ball Aerospace and Technologies
Managed Network Security). Here I am, landing a dream job for a college student, a
paid internship at a high-technology company, working in one of the most exciting
fields in the tech industry, network security.
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