Embedded software development (or embedded firmware development, however you’d like to call it) is a thriving field. The embedded system market will reach $116.2 billion by 2025, rising at a compound annual growth rate of 6.1% since 2020. Numerous factors drive this market, including the proliferation of 5G connectivity, the automotive industry boom, the de-stigmatization of self-driving vehicles, demand surges for embedded consumer devices, and the global need for robust microcontrollers.
With the embedded software development market in such great health, there’s naturally a lot of debate and discourse about optimizing software development in embedded systems. The open source versus proprietary software debate is at the front and center of these conversations. Right off the bat, it’s important to know that the open source versus proprietary software debate doesn’t have easy answers. Both options have pros and cons, and the unique contexts of enterprises will inform whether one solution is better.
This article breaks down the pros and cons of open-source and proprietary solutions for embedded development so that enterprises can make an informed and responsible decision about which model to use.
No one can understand the nuances of the open source versus proprietary software debate without knowing what the two models entail. Therefore, before we delve into the pros and cons of open-source solutions for embedded software development, let’s briefly understand the differences between open-source solutions and proprietary solutions.
Open source software is available at no cost, and businesses can apply it in any use case they want without restrictions. The source code of open-source software is publicly available on the internet. Communities of developers develop and test open-source solutions in a transparent collaboration model. Examples of open-source software include VLC Media Player, Blender, Mozilla Firefox, and jBPM (an open-source workflow engine that will feature in one of our case studies below).
With proprietary software, no one other than the company that designed it can access the source code. This means that no third party or end-user can access or modify the source code. Anyone who wants to use proprietary software must purchase it from the company that designed it. The purchase comes with a license that may have certain usage restrictions. Examples of proprietary software include macOS and Windows.
This section highlights the most critical pros and cons that businesses must know about using open-source solutions for software development in embedded systems.
The most significant advantages of using open-source solutions for embedded system development are:
The biggest disadvantages of using open-source solutions for embedded system development are:
Now that we’ve explored the pros and cons of using open-source solutions for embedded software development, let’s take a look at proprietary solutions.
The biggest advantages of using proprietary solutions for embedded software development are:
The biggest disadvantages of using proprietary solutions for embedded software development are:
As mentioned at the start of this post, there’s no easy answer between open-source and proprietary software for embedded firmware development. Furthermore, as the pros and cons mentioned above suggest, no single factor can make businesses prefer one over the other.
Therefore, the verdict is that businesses must assess their requirements and contexts to get a sense of which model would suit them best. However, all companies must work with an expert tech partner to understand how either model would fit into their embedded development plans and how to optimize its application.
For instance, a business may choose to work with open-source solutions for embedded firmware development. However, a tech partner like rinf.tech has experts within its ranks who can ensure that enterprises use open-source solutions to their fullest potential. Furthermore, rinf.tech can add custom code to any solution, which can significantly help serve an enterprise’s unique needs.
Numerous companies are interested in unlocking value via embedded firmware development, especially by mastering microcontroller and embedded driver development. However, it’s important to remember that by utilizing the services of a company like rinf.tech, mastering microcontroller and embedded driver development (or anything else in this space) becomes hassle-free. Most importantly, it becomes possible to do without heavy upfront investments, challenges, and complexities. A top tech partner can quickly mitigate those challenges for an enterprise.
To conclude this article about open source versus proprietary software for embedded firmware development, let’s quickly take a look at this case study.
Our team at rinf.tech collaborated with a leading global fintech company to develop a robust solution for banking process digitalization, utilizing several prominent open-source projects, namely MapStruct, OpenShift, Angular, Camunda, and jBPM. With rinf.tech’s expertise, the fintech leader realized significant benefits from these open-source solutions, including:
On top of that, the solution allowed our customer to significantly improve their customer services.
You can do the same. All you need to do is start a conversation with rinf.tech.
Embedded development is one of the most exciting fields in the world of technology, and numerous companies are trying to unlock value in this space. The big question for them is whether they should choose open-source or proprietary solutions for embedded system development.
In this article, we looked at the pros and cons of each model. Open-source solutions reduce the chance of vendor-in, offer community support, have fewer misconfigurations, and are free or inexpensive. However, some disadvantages include potential instability, lack of context-specific assistance, being overly technical, and monetization limitations. On the other hand, proprietary solutions are easier to use, feature personalized support, and offer multiple upgrades and product rights. However, disadvantages include high costs, more dependency, less flexibility, and the possibility of a vendor lock-in.
Businesses should take a close look at their unique requirements, budgets, and circumstances and make an informed decision about which model to choose for embedded development. However, they must remember that working with a tech partner like rinf.tech can be a game-changer. Partners like rinf.tech can unlock the true value of either one of these robust solutions.
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