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Open Source Technology Update
Breaking Away
4/1/2007
“In essence, we’re pooling our monies to run a disciplined project,” says Wheeler, who also serves as chairman of the Kuali Project Board. “These aren’t tight consortiums where you’re locked in for five years: Everyone has walk-away rights, but we’re held together by enlightened self-interest. Each university can write incremental improvements and take advantage of other peoples’ research.”
Cornell, for instance, is writing a Kuali reporting module that IU plans to deploy. Contrast that with the commercial software market, where license agreements frequently bar universities and businesses from sharing homegrown software enhancements with one another.
Another key benefit of the open source movement: Universities frequently can make module enhancements without taking any systems offline. Notes Wheeler: “It’s the opposite of commercial ERP upgrades, where you often have to deal with numerous interruptions as you pay seven figures for an upgrade.”
Taking Control
After several years of development, many of the open source components are ready for prime time. Kuali Financial System 1.0 is out the door and drawing attention from smaller colleges. A nextgeneration release, to be dubbed 1.1 or 2.0, will debut this December. Assuming the upgrade meets Indiana’s scalability needs, the university will begin deploying it as soon as it becomes available.
SOFTWARE PROS & CONS
Commercial Software
PROS :: Strong support network of independent software vendors, resellers, and integrators, Established track record in production environments, Generally scalable and reliable
CONS :: No access to source code, No rights to share self-developed enhancements, High acquisition fees and maintenance fees.
Open Source
PROS :: Complete access to source code, Rights to share self-developed enhancements, Little or no acquisition costs
CONS :: Limited network of resellers and integrators, Limited track record in production environments, Potential hidden support costs, from vendor or from need to hire full-time open source experts
By 2009, many larger universities will likely deploy Kuali, according to former university financial officer David Lyons, now senior fellow of the National Association of College and University Business Officers. He notes: “We have to execute well on the remaining module developments, and we need some successful deployments to point to” (that is, in order for Kuali to reach a tipping point and gain widespread acceptance throughout higher education). That’s already happening with Sakai, which is a bit more mature than Kuali. “Right now at IU, we’ve reached a critical mass of users with Sakai,” says Wheeler. “We’re looking to retire our old system at the end of this summer.”
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