What does this website do?
This website lets companies calculate whether it pays for them to switch to Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) solutions.
This is done by estimating the one-time switching costs such as employee training expenses, setup cost, and the acclimation period in which your staff gets used to using the new software. These costs will be added to the yearly expanses such as licence fees and salaries payed the maintanance-programmers.
How to use the calculator:
Go to the next section (Price Calculator) and fill in the required costs and amounts. Then click on the button titled "Calculate Financial Results". You will be shown the cost estimation over the next 20 years in the Results section.
It is recommended that you input values conservatively. For example, if you are unsure whether the number of maintanance programmers nedded for the new solution is 2 or 3, go with 3. That way, you can be more confident in the results.
If you got sent here via a link:
The values needed for calculation already have been filled out for you. You can double-check them in the Price Calculator tab. Then click on "Calculate Financial Results" to receive your projection.
Nothing was calculated yet. Go to the previous section to input data and receive results.
Results of Calculation:
Summary:
Please Conisder This:
Those simply are the results of a somewhat basic calculation. This calculation does not include many (important!) other aspects of switching from a commercial software solution to a FOSS solution. In the following-section, you find a few common advantages and disadvantages of both, commercial and open-source software, to help you decide whether to make a switch.
Commercial Software
Common Advantages
- A lot of work is done for you
- Feature-complete
- May have better synergy with
other commercial software
Common Disadvantages
- High cost
- Dependance on external
factors
- May or may not include backdoors and telemetry
- May not synergize well with
software outside the proprietary ecosystem
Open Source Software
Common Advantages
- Low cost
- Freedom from external factors
- Data security
- May have better synergy with other open-source software
Common Disadvantages
- Extra staff may be required to implement or organize features
- Two free solutions may be
required to substitute for one commercial one.
- Proprietary solutions may
refuse to accept open standards