Open-Source vs Proprietary Engineering Software: A Comparative Study of Adoption, Customisation and Innovation in Bangladesh

Abstract

In the dynamic engineering and technology environment of Bangladesh, open source versus commercial software has implications for adoption, customisation and innovation. This paper explores how engineering organisations in Bangladesh accommodated these two divergent software models. Using secondary data from government policy papers, industry reports, academic writings and case studies, the analysis begins with analyzing three core elements: the level and determinants of uptake; the extent to which they have been modified and how influenced by mechanisms co-evolving along innovation chains; plus their outcomes in terms of induced imitation/innovation behaviour. The analysis shows that free and open source solutions offer a great deal of flexibility, lower barriers to cost and the most potential for local adaptation in which resources are scare in Bangladesh. But, proprietary software retains an edge in vendor support, stability, legal protection and feature completeness. While for open source there appeared to be issues such as lack of local capacity, worries regarding support and sustainability and institutional momentum against adoption  proprietary risks revolve around cost and vendor lock-in, along with decreased flexibility in terms of adapting software deployment to local engineering contexts. The study also establishes that when engineering firms or organisations choose to implement open-source tools and are willing to design them to fit their needs, there is a better chance of promoting incremental innovation. While the proprietary systems on the contrary make for efficiency and standardisation, they may also hinder exploratory innovation. The paper ends by suggesting a hybrid adoption framework for Bangladeshi engineering units, which it is argued should see choice software based on strategic imperatives (e.g., innovation vs. efficiency), organisational capabilities (e.g., ability to customise, maintain) and contextual artefacts (e.g. budgets, vendor ecosystems). The results have implications for policy makers, engineering managers and software adopting decisions committee in Bangladesh to make well-informed decision about trade-off between cost, customisability capability and innovation capacity of Microsoft and Open Source Software.