You Give Open Source A Bad Name…
There was (and hopefully still is) a time when software derived from Open Source was quite in demand by a great Bank in Indonesia since it solved some RoI issues for their application. That is a commercial version of PostgreSQL, which is very great for them having an alternative option rather than the red incumbent.
The adoption of software derived from Open Source has been increasing since 2012 in many banks in Indonesia, thanks to many IT professionals who opened their minds wide and accepted great alternative software for their needs. It all starts with Bank BJB adopting PostgreSQL for their RDBMS. Thank Pak Wisnu Wardhana for your initiative, and then Linux (Redhat), Hadoop, Cassandra, and many more…
It took a little while before one of the biggest banks adopted their Internet Banking applications; of course, they wanted to use the commercial version. In 2016, getting hotter than before, more and more banks adopted Open Source software; it doesn't matter whether it is not being used in production. The usage of Open Source software has flourished even more since that time.
Compliance and Legitimate Support
However, using software derived from Open Source, especially in Banking with its rigid operation conduct, should be taken with some grain of precaution. Banks comply with OJK (Otoritas Jasa Keuangan). Therefore, they are only able to use it with legitimate support. The usual option is to use the commercial version.
Whether the software is pure Open Source, just like Postgres and Linux (which pure in this term means there is no hidden agenda / that is not driven by a single entity), OR just another marketing effort to throw the software as Open Source (then they take an approved license by Open Source Initiative / OSI). As long it has legitimate support, it would be great to use in the Corporation, avoiding technology lock-in by vendors or paying expensive proprietary licenses.
Some software runs well, even with minimal support, while others don't. Some software is the center of business interest, and others are just tools and helpers for operation conduct. Postgres, for example, is critical since it stores and manipulates dynamic data; it faces many data challenges: leakages, corruption, integrity issues, loss, etc. One should be taken care of very carefully; full support from the vendor is required to use the RDBMS wisely in the Corporation.
Compliance is not enough: Business Ecosystem
So, only having compliance as long as there is legitimate support apparently doesn't happen very well in Postgres' case. It requires more than compliance; managing the Postgres database with mission-critical data manipulation should be able to be supported by some expert to ensure any potential problem is mitigated beforehand.
To have full support, especially for a product derived from Open Source, requires a great deal of effort since no ecosystem supports it yet. The product's principal should take responsibility for developing the ecosystem, especially the business ecosystem, so there is enough support surrounding the product to make it easy for any user to adopt and use it well. That is what they should do, and they don't.
On some products, which are quite easy to use and operate, didn't even have any impact risk to the business (expendable, replaceable, non-mission-critical), there would be no issue regarding building an ecosystem for their businesses, while it is still good to have it. But, on some mission-critical data-manipulation systems, as the base of their businesses to manage their transaction, their bread and butter. It is a serious task to have sophisticated and legitimate support to ensure the system runs well seamlessly.
The time is (sadly) Expected
The time has come. The news goes to me that the banks disappointed badly, and they are moving away from The Open Source one into the incumbent red one; this news is really the worst one I have ever heard in my career as an IT Solution Provider based on Open Source and Research.
Oracle has many OCP Professionals in all corners of the world. Most Database fan fresh graduates are always trying to pass that exam. There are many companies that would love to become Oracle's partner at any level, recruiting them as their consultant to make money over current implementations. The business ecosystem is there, stable and stronger every time. Not to forget, there are many universities hosting the Oracle Academy curriculum, lowering the barrier to Oracle’s adoption. Oracle’s fountains of specialists are ensured by academic mutual partnership.
Building a great business ecosystem requires great cooperation, effort, and involving many parties; the old saying: It takes two to tango. We should cooperate and collaborate to offset our handicaps.
Unless being selfish takes advantage without building the ecosystem, it is like cutting wood in the forest without reforestation only to devastate the ecosystem. Creating a bad experience using Open Source software creates a worse experience than having no experience.
Oh, there's nowhere to run; no one can save it; the damage is done. Shot through the heart, and you're to blame…
You Give Love A Bad Name.
June 11, 2024
