Beyond Free: Hidden Costs as Major Contributors to Owning Open Source Software in Open Distance and E-Learning (ODEL) Departments of Universities in Embu and Kiambu Counties, Kenya

The adoption of open-source software is growing, but at a slower rate than expected, despite its availability at no upfront cost. This is due to various direct, indirect, and hidden costs associated with ownership. Hidden costs, in particular, have a significant impact on the total cost of ownership, often outweighing direct and indirect costs. Understanding these cost factors is crucial for stakeholders to fully assess the financial implications. The Gartner’s total cost of ownership theory was adopted for this study as it is a well-grounded theory in matters software cost estimation. The research design that was applied in this study is the explanatory sequential research design which involved the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data to better understand the concept of hidden costs in total cost of ownership of open source software. The population for the study was 316 participants in the open distance and learning departments (ODEL) in universities in Embu and Kiambu counties. The sampling technique used was the purposive sampling on the institutions that had customized and were using open source learning management system. The resultant sample size was 62 participants. The instrument used for data collection was a likert scale questionnaire. The data was analyzed using SPSS 24 and both descriptive and inferential statistics were applied on the collected data. The results obtained showed a relationship between direct cost factors and indirect cost factors to the total cost of ownership of open source software. Also, the hidden costs were identified as the greatest contributors to the total cost of ownership of open source software. Highlighting these hidden costs is essential for stakeholders to better track and manage them. This study contributes to the field by adapting Gartner’s original model of total cost of ownership to open-source software. The recommendations for this study are that institutions should have a tracking mechanism for the cost factors of open source software so as to be able to cut down on costs. Also, government institutions are encouraged to track the costs of open source before choosing to adopt open source software.