Why OSCommerce Open Source eCommerce Solution

Selecting a good eCommerce Solution depends on very many factors. As the choice of products or services you will sell online. Whether the audience you want to control, you deliver to consumers or businesses, or even both? What functionality would you offer your customers? The solution must be connected to other systems? How many visitors and orders you expect? What are your ambitions and growth expectations?

Open source e-commerce solutions are becoming increasingly popular, but are also suitable for you?

What is open source?

The term 'open source' is used for software whose source code is released. Open source is not always free, but if you buy the software system, you also get its source code. The source code is the language in which it is made. So you can (with the right IT knowledge) to see exactly what the software does and the software to suit your personal needs. Often there is a community, a group of developers who manages source code and improvements in progress. Anyone can make improvements and new functionality to pass the 'community'. Some examples of open source e-commerce solutions, Magento, osCommerce, PrestaShop, Virtua Mart, X-cart, Zen Cart, etc.

With closed source software such as Microsoft Office, no one can customize the software. You get the software as it is developed, after payment of a license. After this payment, you may use the software and you can count on support from the supplier. Often you can take advantage of updates that the supplier delivered, for example, to recover from software errors. Also, the supplier usually a plan for new versions in the future you can install or can buy at a discount. You may use the software itself does not modify or change. With open source you usually pay no license fees and the users are even encouraged to make adjustments and changes to implement and / or to pass in order to make the software better.

Benefits open source e-commerce

Price
The main advantage of open source  solutions is the price, because the solution is usually free. No license so. Yet there are some costs you need to take. However, these costs should also be made at a closed-source package. Costs such as installing, configuring and customizing the right design, but also hosting and management. You can also think of possible customization, integration with other systems, et cetera. The savings of the license is often a part of the remaining costs.
Rapid developments
Another feature of open source software is the rapid development. However, this depends on the size of the community, but even the developments very quickly. Closed source packages bring at most two to four times a year a new release out (think of Microsoft Office that about every three years with a new version coming), open source solutions are far more common with new version. The bigger the community, the faster solutions to various problems and how quickly new functionality is added.
Flexibility
With open source you can customize the package to your needs. The source code is indeed available and can be adjusted. You must however be careful. In another version, your changes for example no longer works. You better give your changes to the community, enough users have the same changes then the community will ensure that the changes come in the next version.
Often does an e-commerce solution with extensions or add-ons. These add-ons made by the community or by external companies. With this add-ons can be all kinds of functionality to the current package can be added, without the package itself is changed. This gives great flexibility.
Functionality
Open source solutions with large communities usually have pretty much functionality. Large communities to realize conveyor extensions and add ons. In some cases, these open source solutions even more functionality than closed source solutions.

Integration
Through the add ons are often many links available with payment, logistics and financial packages and other systems. You do not have to invest in specific links.
Not tied to a supplier
The last major advantage of open source is that you are not tied to one supplier, the so-called "lock-in". Often there are multiple vendors with an open source solution can deploy and manage.

Disadvantages open source e-commerce

Support
A major disadvantage is the support. If you have a problem with the software, you can not knock a supplier who is required within a certain time frame to respond and the problem. However, you can google for a solution or post to the forum and hope that someone from the community responds. In this respect is the size of the community of interest again. The more people, the greater the chance for an answer or solution. Do not expect phone support from the community, usually Communication via the forum.
There are companies that respond and a maintenance contract. If you want professional e-commerce companies with open source e-commerce software are good agreements with reliable e-commerce partner of great importance.
Safety
Because the source code is visible to everyone, this is also visible to hackers. A hacker can find out exactly if and where any vulnerability in the code is present.
Community
It may happen that the community of a promising open source solution to stop. Developers lose interest and stop it or get to work with another (new) project. That leaves you stuck with a solution where no longer being developed, or you need money to pay for further development.

Functionality
Functionality that you think should be in the software does not always have to be recognized by the community. It may happen that this functionality is not implemented.
Performance
Sometimes the open source solution from a hobby to a passionate software developer. Excellent solution for a small shop. But the moment that hundreds of orders per day, the system must, the software crashing to a halt. Please check in advance whether large companies with the software and what the performance of the system.

Conclusion

Open source systems offer enough functionality to compete with commercial systems. Whether you choose open source is mainly dependent on the support that you want and the risks you're willing to walk. The size of the community is important and the extent to which the community operates. It can sometimes take longer for a problem is solved if you must rely on the community. Choose a system that has proven itself in other companies and a supplier that can support you in case there are problems.
Although there is often no licensing in open source, there are some costs for implementing and configuring the system. The management and support costs money.
Open source is perfect for beginners or smaller shops. Larger shops often have more requirements for support, customization, integration and performance, but also open source can be a good alternative to take the decision.