Open Source Enterprise Systems: Towards a Viable Alternative

TLDR

Enterprise systems have traditionally relied on monolithic, proprietary architectures, but the rise of open‑source software and component‑based designs offers a modular, user‑focused alternative that challenges this model. The study investigates how adopting open‑source, component‑based approaches could reshape the technological and commercial architecture of enterprise systems. Decomposing enterprise software into modular, open‑source components can alleviate user concerns associated with proprietary, product‑centric designs.

Abstract

Enterprise systems are located within the antinomy of appearing as generic product, while being means of multiple integrations for the user through configuration and customisation. Technological and organisational integrations are defined by architectures and standardised interfaces. Until recently, technological integration of enterprise systems has been supported largely by monolithic architectures that were designed, and maintained by the respective developers. From a technical perspective, this approach had been challenged by the suggestion of component-based enterprise systems that would allow for a more user-focused system through strict modularisation. Lately, the product nature of software as proprietary item has been questioned through the rapid increase of open source programs that are being used in business computing in general, and also within the overall portfolio that makes up enterprise systems. This suggests the potential for altered technological and commercial constellations for the design of enterprise systems, which are presented in different scenarios. The technological and commercial decomposition of enterprise software and systems may also address some concerns emerging from the users' experience of those systems, and which may have arisen from their proprietary or product nature.