In my post in Internet 2.0, I wrote about the cons of Google Office where I mentioned that when it comes to hosting our own apps and docs, we want them in our own servers. It is like having control of your own things.



I have been hearing this for a long time now why you should and why you should not go for proprietary software for business critical apps. I bumped into this post by Open Source advocate Robin Miller who says that it is dangerous for enterprises to depend upon proprietary software for business critical applications. He cites the example of the ordeal that one of his mates had to go through in order to integrate the company’s proprietary inventory control and accounting software package.



This is not a one-off case. There has been uncountable such instances with proprietary software, some of which, went to the point of coercion and blackmailing by the software company. Open Source advocates always find this as a easy point to argue against proprietary software.



However, the thing that has not only held proprietary software making companies like Microsoft, but also made them flourish (and they are still flourishing) is the factor called accountability and responsibility that comes along with the money you pay for the software. Often, Open Source apps are not great to work with. Besides, the whole Open Source thingy looks way too geeky for the layman. More often than not, they don’t have the kind of finish their ‘pricey’ proprietary software offer.



I am all for Open Source, however, I am not anti-proprietary software companies like Microsoft. If service backup is the issue, there is nothing like proprietary software. They are prompt and always have customer care support that you would never find with Open Source.



So, unless you can afford to have a whole team of Open Source software architects and specialists in your company, I would rather that going for proprietary software is always the better policy. After all, how would you explain to my uncle who runs a small Chartered Accountant firm with 5-6 associates to go for Open Source apps?



Read Robin’s story here.