Three Tier Support Model

OCI has a three tier model for characterizing for our customers our expertise with open source products. As we become more knowledgeable about open source projects, i.e. we try them ourselves, we write articles, we use them, we submit new features, we watch them gain user acceptance, we witness the liveliness of the community, then they often move up a tier.

Tier One

We support widely. We offer classes to help clients get started. Because of this level of commitment we are very active in the developer and user community. We often have "commit" privileges, many times we extend the range of platforms on which the software operates, and we may document as appropriate.

Examples are:

Tier Two

We use frequently.  Our software engineers use these products often on projects and we are very knowledgeable about their use. Additionally, we often interact with members of the active development community for these products. These open source software products are often used in our infrastructure, our classes (though they might not necessarily be the focus of the class), are offered as tutorials, and we mentor clients in their usage.

Examples are:

  • XML APIs
  • Dom4J
  • Xerces-J
  • Javax.servlet
  • CVS
  • Subversion
  • Request Tracker
  • ProjectOpen

Tier Three

We use as required. Such open source software is usually thought of as being in the "tools" class. They are fairly stable, well understood, easily applied, and we can often handle first line support issues. These tools are rarely found on the critical path of a project, but provide exceptional value and are a useful addition to any project. They are used routinely, and rarely require support other than usage questions.

Examples are:

  • Commons-collections
  • Jetty
  • Ethereal
  • Sniffer
  • Log4J