BANGALORE, INDIA: Performance and reliability are the principal criteria for selecting software. In most procurement exercises however, price is also a determining factor when comparing quotes from multiple vendors. Price comparisons do have a role, but usually not in terms of a simple comparison of purchase prices. Rather, price issues tend to arise when comparing total cost of ownership (TCO), which includes both the purchase price and ongoing costs for support (and licence renewal) over the real life span of the product.

Some frameworks have been developed to help those in IT procurement assess open source software. These can help determine the appropriateness of particular applications in specific situations, or to evaluate different open source products against one another. They are not so well suited for comparing open source software against proprietary alternatives. Examples of such frameworks include the Business Readiness Rating (BRR) and the Open Source Maturity Model (OSMM).

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