Are there any potential disadvantages with using open source software?
Probably the most common problem encountered is the lack of familiarity of the IT and instructional staff with open source solutions. Sometimes the technical staff has a steep learning curve before they can install and operate open source operating systems. Depending on the vendor desktop solutions can be as easy to install as any proprietary system. Open source systems do not necessarily have free technical support. Some vendors provide full integration support for a fee. While formal training and certification for many proprietary network systems is usually available, this less common in the open source community. IT staff are frequently self taught and sometimes this means only a few are able to operate the open source systems. If these key staff members move away you may be left with a system nobody understands. Administrators may be reluctant to let foreign software into their well oiled system.
It’s a good idea to plan right from the start to invest a substantial amount of the budget you save on open source on training so that you can build institutional experience and technical depth.
Knowledge Transfer
I have been in IT for the last 25 years serving in the business sector, business owner for IT integration company, and now a K12 school district. I have heard and been involved in many discussions revolving around Open Source utilization and I must take exception with the comment relating to the loss of knowledge when an IT staff member leaves. This argument can be applied to any type of solution, Open Source or Proprietary. If you have a particular staff member that is skilled in a particular technology such as Exchange Server and that staff member leaves, well, there goes the knowledge... This is not a valid argument against implementation of Open Source. Training should be a concern no matter what technology is implemented in an organization.