To be useful in practice and sustainable, Open Source software
necessitate a minimum of support services. Indeed healthcare
professionals have already a lot of things to follow in order to remain
up-to-date. They may need help for the software installation, the
training of the users, the maintenance, and at any time access to a
helpdesk in case of occasional technical problems.
While Open Source software is shared at international level free of
charges on Internet , the costs of support services need to be covered
by the local users.
In general volunteers are especially motivated by the challenges of
new ideas, but much less by day to day maintenance.
Call for regional companies or not for profit organisations willing
to provide support services as a sustainable traditional business.
Objectives
Recommendation about the global management of Open Source
applications.
Approaches
Clarification of the roles:
Developments:
Should be shared by communities as large as possible.
Based on joined efforts of contributors and sponsors.
Support:
Every local installation require assistance. Not much could
be shared in this domain.
First line maintenance must relay on local services at
regional level.
Let users understand that Open Source has many qualitative
advantages and is much less expensive, but definitively not
completely free of charges. Services must be seen here as a
kind of traditional business.
Advices about how to manage support services in a self sustaining
way.
