How Do You Decide If OSS Works for You?

!!Background The adoption of open source software can be as simple as downloading one software package, installing it, and using it on a single computer, or implementing an entire Linux server cluster to do complex tasks, or anything in between. This section will focus on smaller-scale implementations of OSS, which are more relevant to most nonprofit organizations. All organizations should consider implementing OSS. But in any organization, it is necessary to make a case for what can be a significant internal change. This section lays out some of the factors you might need to address in weighing the costs and benefits of OSS versus proprietary solutions. (Later sections of the primer offer more concrete examples.) Concepts There are two concepts to consider: __Total Cost of Ownership:__ TCO is a familiar term to many people - it represents a calculation of how much technology costs to implement and maintain over time. __Strategic Value:__ Strategic Value takes additional factors into account beyond the costs related to the technology itself. In the nonprofit context this means accounting for the mission-based value that a technology might bring to an organization; for example the impact on staff productivity, or on the quality of services delivered to clients. OSS can influence both the TCO of technology, as well as the strategic value that it brings to an organization.