Recently, our sales team has been fielding questions about open source content management software, and in the process, educating potential buyers about the pitfalls inherent in open source projects. Certainly, the software's price tag (free) makes it hard to pass up, but what you can't afford to ignore are the risks inherent in using open source software.

If you're considering an open source Web content management system over a commercially available Web CMS (like Lyris' Hot Banana), you need to consider this:

Risking your reputation and your data: A recent study found that open source software 'fails to adhere to minimal security best practices' - not a good situation if you're using an open source Web CMS to update and maintain Web sites for yourself or your clients. At the very least, you're risking embarrassment; at the worst, you're jeopardizing confidential data and Web site performance. Lyris' Hot Banana follows industry-standard security best practices in its product.

When it comes to support, you get what you pay for: The new Web site is coming along nicely when all of the sudden, an error message appears and your screen freezes while updating the last set of files. If you're using commercial software, a quick call or email to tech support can have you back up and running in short order. Using open source software, you're likely to have to search the Internet for user-submitted solutions to the problem - and there's a good chance that those solutions didn't take your unique business and technological setup into consideration.

Consider the total cost of free: Sure, the $0 price tag of open source software can be enticing. But consider the hidden costs - your IT staff will likely have to spend many valuable (and costly) hours implementing and tweaking the software to suit your business' particular needs. Commercially available solutions like Lyris' Hot Banana have an initial cost, but require little or no IT involvement with installation and product maintenance.

Built for techies, not 'average Joes': Commercially available Web content management software has been designed (and tested) to be easy-to-learn and user friendly. User interface specialists have vetted each aspect of the program. Open source software, by its very nature, is geared toward more technical users. If the purpose of Web content management software is to make it easier for non-technical users to update their site, then open source software seems to potentially present more challenges than solutions. Especially if your IT staff leaves, taking that knowledge with them.

Updates on your schedule? Maybe: Many open source software projects start out as a hobby, a labor of love by an individual or group with an interest in a particular technological area. Unfortunately, as schedules become busier and love fades, the software can go without updates or fixes for months, years - or even for an eternity, if the project is abandoned altogether. Building your Web site on a commercially available Web CMS program means that upgrades and fixes will be released in a timely manner, and that you'll always be working with the most current technology designed to today’s standards and best practices. You can also take comfort in the fact that your Web CMS provider has a plan for the future - a product roadmap - and has the qualified, dedicated professionals who will help bring that plan to fruition.

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