Open Source enterprise: ways to democratize access to technology

The panel “Open Source & Business”, recently held at the Zabbix LatAm Conference, was the stage for technology industry leaders to discuss the importance of open source in the business environment and how the mentality is democratizing access to technology in the business environment. The debate was attended by Luciano Alves, CEO, Zabbix LatAm, Brazil, Alexei Vladishev, CEO & Founder, Zabbix, Latvia, Marlon Souza, Head of Cloud Services, T-Systems of Brazil, Thiago Araki, Senior Director, Technology & Sales America, Ricardo Red Hatet Brazil, Ricardo Pinto.

The discussion began with the use of open source technologies, a format that provides support, stability and correction of essential bugs for companies. According to Thiago Araki, organizations should adopt the open philosophy for several reasons, especially because it is the best way to scale processes and prepare teams. “This innovation is possible thanks to the continuous contribution of multicultural communities, with people from different areas, regions and skills that complement each other and bring innovative ideas”, he says.

He also stressed the importance of diversity within these communities, stating that “a best idea wins and, more than that, this wealth of world views and experiences are capital to drive continuous innovation and produce scalability, something all companies seek in their technology journeys”

Marlon Souza highlighted the maturity of open source in Brazil and in other countries where T-Systems operates. “We have a great opening for Open Source and this has matured a lot. This security that Open Source brings is something we always seek and today we are on the right path, with many opportunities.”

During the panel, the communication challenge between manufacturers and customers was also discussed. Marlon commented that although open source is widely used and valued by analysts and IT architects, there is a gap in understanding and communication with management levels in companies.“Nos, as manufacturers, can have a dialogue with these managers to convey information about the Open Source business model, not just about the platform and tools themselves.”

The event also saw the participation of other experts who discussed how to transform the perception of open source, not only as a technological platform, but also as a robust business model.This transformation is crucial to ensure that decision makers in companies release funds, support projects, training and ongoing support for Open Source initiatives.

“I believe that it is essential to distinguish between open source software and the open source business.Open source is not about gratuity, but about freedom of use. Zabbix, for example, is free and open source as a platform, but the business around it is not. It is crucial that there is remuneration to sustain continuous development and provide quality support. Our role is to educate the market about this business model.”, said Luciano Alves, CEO of Zabbix LatAm.

Throughout the event, the importance of Open Source in the business environment and the need for effective communication between manufacturers and customers to drive adoption and continuous innovation were highlighted. 

“The more people understand and participate in this ecosystem (open source), the more robust it will become. We are committed to expanding the dialogue and strengthening the community around Zabbix.”, concludes Alexei Vladishev, CEO & Founder, Zabbix.