Here at Inclind, it’s no secret that we’re crazy-big fans of the superhero-like software and content management systems provided by Drupal and WordPress. But we thought we’d point out why we feel open source software (OSS) is a much more viable option for businesses over proprietary, or closed source, software. And we’ll show you first-hand how we proved the benefits of converting from proprietary to open source with the Beebe Women’s Health website.

First, let’s cover the pros of open source software:

Cost
Open source software (OSS), like Drupal, is distributed under a licensing agreement, which means computer code is shared, viewed and can be modified by multiple users from its original design free of charge. And that would make closed source/proprietary software the exact opposite; it’s not able to be shared or changed. Not only does OSS cost less, but there’s less restrictions. Proprietary software charges more for platform and licensing fees, development staff, customizations and integration.

Community
Popular open source content management systems like Drupal and WordPress offer larger communities of developers that are all loyal and closely engaged in delivering the ongoing online support and maintenance needed – fast. It’s a living ecosystem, if you will, familiar with the nuances of each site, inside and out.

Integration
The power of OSS is in the freedom and flexibility of changing the software and in the open-ended power to fully integrate all components and specs of a web development project. And this integration is constantly in motion.

Turnaround Time
OSS is built on a higher mph over proprietary platforms, which means your brand comes alive on the web faster. Timing is everything, and you don’t wan to be wasting and time in the development phase of the website building process.

Open Source Benefits in Action
When Beebe Healthcare came to us for help with their website, the site was in a platform that handcuffed them from integrating the entire scope of the project. We re-platformed the website onto Drupal to solve problems in cost-effectiveness, web speed and available features. We merged the old into the new site in about six weeks (the original design was a nine-month process) for a more cohesive design on the front end and greater usability on the backend.

Can we get a high-five on that?

If you’d like Inclind to show you how open source platforms like Drupal and WordPress can open your business to more powerful possibilities online, connect with us.