Enterprise Times met up with Oliver Picton, Head of Technology at Enjoy Digital. Enjoy Digital is a full service digital agency based in Leeds, UK which develops work on Umbraco. Umbraco is an open-source code solution and is one of the most deployed Web Content Management Systems on the Microsoft stack. It’s in the top five most popular server applications, and among the ten most popular open-source tools. The conversation revolved around the issues and challenges of utilising Umbraco and open-source software for enterprises. Oliver suggests 3 tips for enterprises looking to go down the open-source software route.
1. Support
The biggest barrier to organisations adopting open-source software is the fear that such code is created in someone’s back bedroom. As a result, business managers are concerned that they will not have any support for that technology. There are no substantial teams of developers supporting the platform and no clear roadmap for enhancements.
One of the biggest benefits of using Umbraco is that it has one of the largest open-source communities on the planet. It is also a community that’s incredibly pro-active, extremely talented and helpful. Furthermore, with Umbraco, there is a whole team behind it, and there is proper support, which is key for enterprises. It’s hard to sell into enterprises, you have not got that support. So support will be the number one on the list
2. Security
Security is one of the biggest concerns cited for enterprises utilising open-source software. However, Enjoy Digital has worked with banks and insurance companies who requested access to GitHub repository. They then undertake security reviews of the repositories.
Companies have also commissioned penetration testing from security companies to review packages. The key is that Umbraco’s solutions are out of the box. Enjoy Digital knows they are security tested. Enterprises still need to be more careful when installing third-party packages for potential security vulnerabilities. It is, therefore, important to utilise just a trusted set of packages for client work.
3. Selling the advantages of open-source code
It is important for enterprises to set the boundaries for open-source. The flexibility and extensibility of Umbraco are first-class. This allows for customisation and bug fixing without reliance on third-party support. Furthermore, Microsoft has greatly improved its platform with better code delivery and API options. Enterprises should explore how open-source software could benefit all types of organisations. Because the codes are open, enterprises will inevitably have concerns about security or code quality. However, with the careful selection of packages and security reviews should mitigate those risks.
