Focus
The true cost of open source in mission-critical applications
By Bert Farabaugh, Director of Field Application Engineering, RTI O
pen source soſt ware has become prevalent in many applications today. According to a recent study
by system verifi cation company, Synopsys, 96% of the total code bases reviewed contained some open source code, which included advanced applications such as robotics, unmanned vehicles, defence infrastructure, transportation, smart grid and more. T e popularity of open source soſt ware
can be attributed to several factors. For a start, users can download the soſt ware and start using it in minutes. T ere is also a lot of available code provided by a large community of developers, enthusiasts and experts who collaborate on projects. Yet, the main reason for choosing open source usually comes down to the perception of cost – the idea that “free” really does mean free. But, does it? We have learned the value of open
source soſt ware over the years, as well as the level of attention needed to maintain the codebase. In addition, we have engagements with projects that have used open source in the past and then later moved over to a commercially available version. From these engagements and their reported fi ndings, it’s clear that some open source is pretty straight forward to adopt and incorporate, and other not so, requiring more work and support. Since the wide-ranging implications of
that choice are not always immediately obvious, this means that the true cost of using open source is oſt en misunderstood. Determining the real cost is implicated in the fact that open source soſt ware has well-documented risks that directly aff ect the bottom line, including lack of dedicated support, fragmentation and compatibility issues, licensing concerns and developer resource expenses.
Choosing open source soſt ware may seem
to start out as free – open-source soſt ware is typically available without licensing fees. But, as a projects evolve, the potential limitations (if any) inherent in open source soſt ware could lead to situations that hamper productivity and lead to expensive rework. In the end, developers of mission- critical applications may fi nd that choosing open source soſt ware over commercially- available options can end up costing a lot more – especially when safety assurance and compliance are required. T e following are the top fi ve reasons that
can drive up the cost of using open source soſt ware:
1. Upfront legal costs While it’s typically free to download the code itself, there are legal costs associated with license evaluation and usage. On top of that, some open source licenses (such as copyleſt )
10 November 2025
www.electronicsworld.co.uk
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