Why Enterprise Open Source Is the Strategic Choice For Your Learning Technology Platform
Open source technology is moving out of the backroom and moving firmly into the application
Posted on 07-02-2019, Read Time: Min
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Remember that old adage “No one gets fired for buying IBM”? This essentially described the safe choice of technology, the default position for most organizations.
For some, open source technology doesn’t feel like the safe choice. This is a myth and a falsehood. Why? Well, open source technology already powers a growing proportion of all enterprise infrastructure. It lies at the heart of most of the technology tools you use and take for granted today. The internet could not exist without it.
Indeed, open source technology is moving out of the backroom and moving firmly into the application. Don’t take my word for it. Take IBM’s. They recently bought Red Hat in the largest software acquisition deal in history. Red Hat pioneered the use of open source software in the enterprise offering powerful benefits - more on that later. Also, take Microsoft’s actions on face value. They have firmly shifted their strategy away from proprietary practices to being active supporters of open source software, increasingly contributing and opening up their existing software suites, which are used by a significant majority of organizations worldwide.
Why is this happening? The pace of innovation today, and the demands of doing business are such that it is increasingly costly and time-consuming to unilaterally build and maintain proprietary technology. It is simply unsustainable given the rapid change and uncertainty that most of us deal with on a daily basis.
Still not convinced? Take a look at the results of a Red Hat Survey of Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) on their views and use of enterprise open source - 69% believe it is either very or extremely important to their businesses. Another 20% still think it’s important.
How is this changing? Over the past 12 months, 68% said they increased their use of enterprise open source. Over the next 12 months, 59% predict a further increase. Only 2% think it will decrease. The pace of adoption is accelerating.
Why the rush to enterprise open source? Clearly many more organizations are recognizing and enjoying the benefits it brings. The top benefits cited by CTOs are:
For some, open source technology doesn’t feel like the safe choice. This is a myth and a falsehood. Why? Well, open source technology already powers a growing proportion of all enterprise infrastructure. It lies at the heart of most of the technology tools you use and take for granted today. The internet could not exist without it.
Indeed, open source technology is moving out of the backroom and moving firmly into the application. Don’t take my word for it. Take IBM’s. They recently bought Red Hat in the largest software acquisition deal in history. Red Hat pioneered the use of open source software in the enterprise offering powerful benefits - more on that later. Also, take Microsoft’s actions on face value. They have firmly shifted their strategy away from proprietary practices to being active supporters of open source software, increasingly contributing and opening up their existing software suites, which are used by a significant majority of organizations worldwide.
Why is this happening? The pace of innovation today, and the demands of doing business are such that it is increasingly costly and time-consuming to unilaterally build and maintain proprietary technology. It is simply unsustainable given the rapid change and uncertainty that most of us deal with on a daily basis.
Still not convinced? Take a look at the results of a Red Hat Survey of Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) on their views and use of enterprise open source - 69% believe it is either very or extremely important to their businesses. Another 20% still think it’s important.
How is this changing? Over the past 12 months, 68% said they increased their use of enterprise open source. Over the next 12 months, 59% predict a further increase. Only 2% think it will decrease. The pace of adoption is accelerating.
Why the rush to enterprise open source? Clearly many more organizations are recognizing and enjoying the benefits it brings. The top benefits cited by CTOs are:
- Lower total cost of ownership (33%)
- Access to the latest innovations (29%)
- Better security (29%)
- Higher quality software (26%)
- Access to enterprise-level support (25%)
- Ability to customize applications (25%)
This applies across all IT use cases within organizations, including your learning technology infrastructure. As learning and performance improvement becomes recognized as a critical success factor and differentiator for your organization, no matter which sector you operate in, your technology choices need to be sustainable and offer these benefits. As a learning professional, you will increasingly need to engage with your IT department or digital transformation teams. As evidenced by Red Hat’s survey they will welcome an informed proposal to use enterprise open source as the foundation of your learning technology platform.
Totara’s mission is to deliver these benefits of enterprise open source to the learning technology sector, articulated as four freedoms;
Totara’s mission is to deliver these benefits of enterprise open source to the learning technology sector, articulated as four freedoms;
- Freedom to innovate (you are in control)
- Freedom to save (lower total cost of ownership)
- Freedom of choice (a wide selection of enterprise level support)
- Freedom to learn (empowering you to deliver superior, effective learning experiences)
Why is this so important to us as learning professionals? Most of us appreciate that learning needs are changing rapidly in response to the transformations our organizations are undergoing. We are moving away from a status quo characterized by “just in case”, reactive learning to supporting continuous ‘just in time’ learning in the workflow. Generic, one size fits all training now needs to be tailored to the needs of the individual and the organization.
Crucially, control must move away from the vendor and over to you, the customer. This breaks the dysfunctional ‘invest and stagnate’, stop/start experience many of us have endured when procuring learning technology, freeing you to enjoy an ‘invest and adapt’ model where the cumulative benefits of evolving your technology solutions come to bear.
Understanding this underlying technology trend is essential if you are to be in step with your CTO. Remember, these days no one gets fired for choosing enterprise open source.
Case study: Indeed
The world’s #1 job search site, Indeed, was previously using a proprietary learning platform which was unable to scale or adapt to their requirements during a period of rapid growth. This led to them creating a complex series of workarounds, which ended up being cumbersome and difficult to manage. They realised that they needed a more flexible solution, and turned to Remote Learner to implement Totara Learn.
Strong search functionality was key to Indeed’s platform. Opting for an open source LMS allowed Remote Learner to put a search-driven front page at the heart of the learning experience, along with tailoring the platform to fit into Indeed’s company culture. With Totara Learn, Indeed now have the freedom to learn, and there are already over 400 courses in the system for learners to explore.
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Author Bio
| Lars Hyland is the Chief Learning Officer at Totara Learning. Lars leads Totara’s operations across EMEA, and heads up the Brighton office in the UK. He is also responsible for the development and growth of the Totara Community, a global network of learning professionals. Lars has championed the adoption of learning technology and is a recognised thought leader in the industry. |
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