Why Open Source?

OBiBa is committed to the open source approach to software development. Read on to find out why.

Background

Although open source is now a familiar concept, given the media attention to projects such as Linux and the Firefox browser, it is important to examine the question of open source in our particular context: biobanks.

Biobanks are a very specialized market which is not mature enough to attract real competition in terms of commercial software development. On the other hand, biobanks often include IT infrastructure in their budgets.

By pooling their resources, biobanks can take control of their IT infrastructure and develop software that is tailored to their needs and which they are free to take in any direction they see fit.

The challenge is to coordinate individual initiatives so as to avoid duplication of effort and to guarantee compatibility among the software components developed by different groups. This is precisely OBiBa’s aim.

Does Open Source mean Open Door?

The fear that open source software could lead to unauthorized access to data is legitimate in the context of biobanks where information confidentiality is critical. Writing code that is completely secure is a difficult job that requires expertise and time. This is true regardless of whether the software is open source or not.

Open source software becomes interesting when the time comes to assess the security of a software solution. In the case of a commercial solution, you only have the vendor’s word that the code (and your data) is secure. Vendors are usually reluctant to reveal how security is achieved. On the other hand, with open source software, the process by which security is achieved is visible to anyone who cares to look. Open source software permits independent assessment by qualified security experts.