Comparing Open Source and Proprietary Enterprise Content Management Systems: Alfresco Compared to IBM Lotus Domino Document Manager Integrated with IBM Lotus WorkFlow

摘要

This thesis is a part of the current discussions of open source versus proprietarysoftware for Swedish authorities. A new governmental policy has been establishedfor which the purpose is to spread the use of open source software andthereby save governmental funds and to increase quality.A case study has been conducted about an enterprise content managementsolution for the authority the Swedish Armed Forces. Enterprise content managementis not a new product category but an integrated approach to handle alltypes of content. The solution is required in order for the authority to conformto current Swedish laws. Two candidate systems are compared against the requirementsfor the solution, were one is open source and the other is proprietary.The first research question addresses the argument of open source softwarelacking features. The result implies that open source software provides an equivalentset of features.The second, third and fourth research questions address implications forSwedish authorities of choosing an open source or a propriety system.The organizational implications are of democratic interest. Open sourceincreases the organizational transparency by making source code public, whichallows automated decisions to be examined. All citizens of Sweden are by lawgranted access to records that are not classified. Why should this not apply tothe source code used by Swedish authorities as well?Another possible organizational implication could originate from an unexpectedmulti-national scenario. It could become disastrous if Swedish authoritiesare dependent on abroad organizations which could not provide critical support.Skills and know-how should be supplied within the country.The economic implications are profound. The Swedish authorities are currentlypurchasing solutions based on proprietary software from private companies.When the projects are finished, the companies are able to sell the samesolutions again to other authorities for the same amount of money. Governmentalfunds could be much better spent if the authorities choose an open sourcesolution and share the source code and experiences with each other.