US Government and Proprietary Databases: Will Procurement Roadblocks Get Set Up before October 1, 2015?
July 20, 2015
I don’t do the government work stuff anymore. Too old. But some outfits depend on the US government for revenue. I should write “Depend a lot.”
I read “Why Government Needs Open Source Databases.” The article is one of those which is easily overlooked. With the excitement changing like a heartbeat, “database” and “government” are not likely to capture the attention of the iPhone and Android crowd.
I found the article interesting. I learned:
Open source solutions offer greater flexibility in pricing models as well. In some cases, vendors offering open source databases price on a subscription-based model that eliminates the licensing fees common to large proprietary systems. An important element to a subscription is that it qualifies as an operating expense versus a more complex capital expenditure. Thus, deploying open source and open source-based databases become a simpler process and can cost 80 to 90 percent less than traditional solutions. This allows agencies to refocus these resources on innovation and key organizational drivers.
Wow, cheaper. Maybe better? Maybe faster?
The article raises an interesting topic—security. I assumed that the US government was “into” security. Each time I read disinformation about the loss of personnel data or a misplaced laptop with secret information on its storage device, I am a doubter.
But the article informs me:
Data security has always been and will continue to remain a major priority for government agencies, given the sensitive and business-critical nature of the information they collect. Some IT departments may be skeptical of the security capabilities of open source solutions. Gartner’s 2014 Magic Quadrant for Operational Database Management Systems showed that open source database solutions are being used successfully in mission-critical applications in a large number of organizations. In addition, mature open source solutions today implement the same, if not better, security capabilities of traditional infrastructures. This includes SQL injection prevention, tools for replication and failover, server-side code protections, row-level security and enhanced auditing features, to name a few. Furthermore, as open source technology, in general, becomes more widely accepted across the public sector – intelligence, civilian and defense agencies across the federal government have adopted open source – database solutions are also growing with specific government mandates, regulations and requirements.
I knew it. Security is job one, well, maybe job two after cost controls. No, no, cost controls and government activities do not compute in my experience.
Open source database technology may be the horse the government knights can ride to the senior executive service. If open source data management systems get procurement love, what does that mean for IBM and Oracle database license fees?
Not much. The revenue comes from services, particularly when things go south. The license fees are malleable, often negotiable. The fees for service continue to honk like golden geese.
Net net: Money will remain the same, just be taken from a different category of expense. In short, the write up is a good effort, but offers little in the way of bad news for the big database vendors. On October 1, 2015, not much change in the flowing river of government expenditures which just keep rising like the pond filled with mine drainage near my hovel in Kentucky.
Stephen E Arnold, July 20, 2015
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