The strategic adoption of different database technologies can make or break a company’s success and long-term viability. Among the many types of database software that companies can choose from, one type stands out for its ability to drive innovation, cut costs, and offer unparalleled flexibility: open source software.
The freedom of users to access, modify, and share the source code characterizes open source software. This fundamental difference sets it apart from proprietary software, where it is developed, distributed, and maintained by a single company that controls the software’s features, updates, and pricing. Users of proprietary databases are subject to the terms and conditions specified in the license agreement, which may include limitations on how somebody can use the software, restrictions on modifications, and requirements for payment of license fees.
Open source embodies a collaborative approach to software development, leveraging the collective expertise of developers worldwide. This contrasts with the closed, controlled environment of proprietary systems, which limits innovation to the software’s original creators. The benefits of migrating to open source, including cost savings, security, and customization, are driving a significant shift in how businesses approach their IT infrastructure.
Recent statistics underscore this trend:
- A recent analysis by McKinsey & Company revealed that the most significant factor setting top-quartile companies apart within their industry verticals is their embrace of open source software. This shift shows that companies leading their sectors leverage open source adoption at a rate that triples the impact on innovation compared to their lower-quartile counterparts.
- The 2023 Percona Open Source Survey found that by a 2:1 ratio, high-performing organizations are twice as likely as their low-performing counterparts to utilize community-supported open source databases.
- The Enterprisers Project states that “open source helps keep your IT organization from getting blocked because a particular capability isn’t available from a vendor. Instead of waiting for the vendor to deliver that capability, you can create it yourself.”
Even as far back as August 2000, the New York Times reported that “the movement’s fans say that open source development, if widely adopted, has the potential to help fill the software gap by more efficiently delivering high-quality software. And open source, they add, is forcing the software industry to rethink its traditional development practices and its business strategies.”
The shift to open source has been going on for quite some time now, and for good reason.
This blog will discuss why migrating your business to open source software is not just a technical upgrade but also a necessity for business growth, covering the advantages of open source and examining some success stories along the way.
Embracing open source: How it drives business growth
The reasons companies should migrate to open source are many, ranging from significant cost savings to unparalleled reliability, the attraction and retention of top-tier talent, and the agility to adapt to market changes swiftly. Here, we will explore these benefits in detail, demonstrating how open source software can drive business growth. Here’s why…
Cost savings and scalability
Cost efficiency is more than a goal for a corporation; it is a must for continued growth. And one of the most significant advantages of migrating to open source is the absence of licensing fees. Unlike proprietary software, where licensing costs can escalate quickly as a business grows, open source software allows companies to scale their operations without worrying about increasing software costs. This scalability is particularly beneficial for startups and small to medium-sized businesses that operate on tight budgets but need to scale rapidly to meet demand.
Open source software also provides the flexibility to customize and adapt databases to specific business needs without incurring additional costs. Businesses can optimize their applications for performance, security, and functionality without being locked into a vendor’s roadmap or pricing structure.
In addition to direct cost savings, open source databases foster an entire ecosystem of community-driven support and development, which can significantly reduce the costs associated with troubleshooting, maintenance, and development. Instead of relying simply on vendor support, which can be expensive and limited, organizations can benefit from the open source community’s experience.
Innovation and agility
Open source software’s collaborative, transparent, and community-driven nature utilizes the power of global contributions, with developers, inventors, and enthusiasts worldwide contributing to its advancement. This collaborative model ensures that open source projects are continually refined, enhanced, and tested by a diverse community. Such a pool of contributors brings together ideas, skills, and perspectives that drive innovation at a speed and scale often unattainable in proprietary settings.
This innovation is not just about adding new features or improving functionality; by engaging with the open source community, businesses gain access to technological advancements, positioning themselves as leaders within their respective industries.
In addition to rapid innovation, the agility provided by open source software is unparalleled. Companies are not bound by the timelines or priorities of a single vendor; instead, they may modify the software as needed, experimenting with new ideas or pivoting directions without delay. This flexibility is critical since the ability to adjust quickly might be the difference between leading and lagging in the market.
Speaking of avoiding single vendors…
The freedom to avoid vendor lock-in cannot be overstated. Proprietary software often comes with strict licensing agreements, limiting the ability to modify or share the software. This leads to dependency on the vendor for updates, support, and enhancements, most likely at escalating costs. In contrast, open source software places control in the hands of the businesses themselves, allowing them to modify, improve, and maintain the software as needed without fearing discontinued support or forced upgrades.
Security enhancements
The security of open source software is another significant advantage, often surpassing that of proprietary counterparts thanks to its inherent transparency and the collaborative nature of its development. The open source model allows for “more eyes on the code,” enabling a vast community of developers to examine, test, and vet the software for vulnerabilities. This collective scrutiny results in the rapid identification and remediation of security issues, often faster than in closed-source environments where the code is only accessible to a limited internal team.
Additionally, the community we mentioned earlier plays a crucial role in continuously improving software security. Developers and users contribute to security patches and updates, accelerating the deployment of fixes but also contributing to a more robust and secure software ecosystem.
In it for the long term
Migrating to open source solutions is a major step toward long-term sustainability, as the ability to adapt and grow without being constrained by the limitations of proprietary software is invaluable. Open source software ensures that businesses can evolve alongside their expanding and changing requirements, free from the roadmap or lifespan dictated by a single vendor.
This flexibility is crucial for future-proofing a business, as using open source software minimizes the worry about end-of-life software announcements that can render proprietary systems obsolete. By leveraging open source, companies can ensure that the technology driving the business remains relevant, efficient, and aligned with the company’s objectives over time, providing a sustainable foundation for growth and innovation.
Easier to attract and retain talent
Companies that make use of open source solutions have a significant advantage over their competitors since they are highly appealing to innovative and skilled professionals. These individuals often seek environments where they can contribute to meaningful projects, engage with the latest technologies, and impact the products and solutions being developed. This aligns with the desires of many in the tech industry who prioritize continuous learning and professional growth.
Businesses can attract and retain talent by fostering an open, innovative, and collaborative culture. Employees who feel their skills are being utilized and developed and who see the impact of their work are more likely to not only remain with an organization but also to spread the word to talented job seekers.
Migrating to open source: Success stories
Among those embracing the shift to open source are Carpages.ca, MacAllister Machinery, and Appsuite, each leveraging Percona’s open source database software to navigate their unique challenges and fuel growth.
Carpages.ca, a leading car shopping platform in Canada, experienced a surge in online traffic, driving the need for a more robust database solution. Similarly, MacAllister Machinery, a key Caterpillar dealer, sought to modernize its database infrastructure to support its expansive operations effectively. Meanwhile, Appsuite, catering to the hospitality industry, aimed to overcome scalability hurdles to serve a broader customer base.
Each company’s transition to Percona’s open source solutions has provided these businesses with the necessary performance, stability, and ease of management and empowered them with greater control over their database systems, underscoring the critical role of open source solutions in driving business growth.
Carpages.ca, a premier car shopping website in Canada, adeptly navigated the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic by pivoting to a Buy From Home feature, leading to a significant 60% year-on-year increase in online traffic following the first lockdown in 2020. This surge in demand necessitated a robust database solution, prompting Carpages.ca to transition to Percona open source software, specifically upgrading to Percona Server for MySQL and Percona XtraDB Cluster. The move to Percona provided the needed performance, stability, and ease of configuration management and allowed Carpages.ca to maintain more control over its database systems, a crucial factor during rapid change and growth. The decision to migrate to Percona was made after thorough research and was strongly influenced by recommendations from trusted contacts in large infrastructure environments.
“Percona’s drop-in database software replacement was a big factor as migrations can be tricky! The other option for us would have been Google Cloud SQL – but that would require a migration and does not offer a multi-read cluster solution. We have more control with Percona.”
— Tim Mirecki, Vice President, Carpages.ca
MacAllister Machinery, a family-owned company and leading Caterpillar dealer in Indiana and Michigan, successfully transitioned to Percona Server for MySQL v8 to support their rapidly growing business needs. Facing the challenge of an outdated MySQL Community Edition 5.5, which reached its End of Life, MacAllister sought a robust, secure, and high-performance database solution to support their extensive Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, essential for their operations across 40 locations.
The choice to upgrade to Percona Server for MySQL was driven by its compatibility with MySQL, offering a seamless drop-in replacement that includes additional enterprise features at no extra cost. Percona’s offerings, such as Percona XtraDB Cluster and Percona XtraBackup, along with the assurance of up-to-date software through regular merges of patches from MySQL Community Edition, provided the necessary confidence.
Appsuite, a SaaS provider for the hospitality industry, sought to enhance its scalability and support infrastructure to accommodate significant business expansion. However, their journey to scalability was hampered by internal limitations, including replication issues and a lack of dedicated database administration expertise.
To this end, Appsuite engaged with Percona for its proven expertise in scalable, performant open source database solutions. Percona’s Architecture and Design (A&D) service was crucial, providing tailored recommendations that spanned schema and application design to cloud infrastructure considerations. This collaboration led to implementing a scalable database architecture using Percona Server for MySQL, marking a strategic move towards leveraging open source software for critical database operations. This strategic move to Percona’s solutions and the comprehensive support received has positioned Appsuite to achieve its goal of serving larger market segments and driving business expansion.
Open source = business growth
Whether it’s for significant cost savings, meeting security and compliance requirements, the agility to adapt to market changes, or one of the many other reasons, it’s evident that migrating to open source is a vital move for organizations aiming to foster growth, enhance innovation, and maintain a competitive edge.
So, if you are considering a migration to open source, Percona offers truly open source and enterprise-ready solutions, ensuring clients are free from the constraints of locked-in licenses or commercial upsells. With a commitment to accessibility and data ownership, our software supports multi-database environments, addressing the complexities faced by businesses of all sizes and scales, empowering organizations to innovate faster, scale with speed, and meet customer expectations without the limitations of their database infrastructure. Designed for peak performance, security, scalability, and availability, and trusted by global brands, Percona’s free, open source software caters to MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB users, backed by the availability of 24/7 support and on-demand services.
At Percona, we’ve been leading the charge to open source for nearly two decades. We can help you navigate the complexities of a migration while ensuring uninterrupted performance, availability, and minimal disruption to production traffic. You can, of course, migrate on your own, or we can create and validate a migration strategy tailored to your unique business and technical requirements and guide your team through every step of the process, ensuring a smooth cutover and consistent, reliable operations from start to finish (and beyond).
Discover how Percona can help your business grow through the migration to open source. Learn more about our migration services or contact us for a no-obligation database migration assessment.
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