Open Source Weblog

“It is an option for operating systems and databases but not at the business application level,” he said. “There are no open source ERP products that are any good for the high end, although it could be argued that they could be developed for the low end.”

As Angela notes:

“Open source has been gradually moving up from the operating system and database level into the business applications layer. In the CRM space, SugarCRM is the most well known of the open source suppliers while Compiere is one of the better known open source ERP projects.”

According to Kagermann, one of the key advantages protecting SAP’s business from open source is that developing ERP applications is not much fun.

“He says open source developers like to work on 'fun' projects, adding improvements that they can boast about. In contrast, work on SAP applications can be boring. Altering applications to cater for legal or regulatory changes such as Sarbanes-Oxley or Basel II lacks the same appeal. ‘I have never seen anyone who likes doing that. That is not fun, there is no choice. The boring bits are a strength of SAP's'."

Of course, what Kagermann is forgetting is that open source *is* boring, as Hyperic’s community manager, John Mark Walker, recently pointed out.

Meanwhile, as I've noted before, denial is often the first sign of open source success.