THE REAL VALUE OF OPEN SOURCE: ROI AND BEYOND

Learn about the real values offered by the open source model – and a successful project like Drupal – and how to pitch it or believe in it without "sounding like a software hippie".

The bottom line always counts, especially today. No one should be wasting money. When businesses waste money, they shut down. When governments waste money, there are much worse, much broader consequences. Using open source solutions like Drupal can save you money. Good start, but there is much more ...

The "Four Freedoms" that define open source software also define real business value: innovation, cost-savings, and risk mitigation – all important reasons to use open source solutions beyond the price tag. If you understand the true value in open source software and in a massively successful project like Drupal, you can bring your organization real benefits and add real value.

Let's think open source (let's think Drupal!), be its champions and explain it to our colleagues, bosses, friends, and decision makers: whether your political representative, local school, or marketing department.

EDIT 10/02/2012: I've given this talk at a couple of (gasp!) non-Drupal events now and have been revising and upgrading it. The content and form of the talk is developing in a great direction thanks to our friends in the PHP, Linux, Python, and open source communities!