Build vs Buy Considerations
When evaluating whether to build a release governance and licensing control plane internally versus adopting Big Picture, consider the following factors.
When building makes sense
Section titled “When building makes sense”- Highly specialized requirements that cannot be met by existing solutions
- Existing in-house expertise in update protocols, signing infrastructure, and license server architecture
- Sufficient engineering resources to maintain and evolve the system over time
- Unique compliance or security requirements that require custom implementation
When buying (Big Picture) makes sense
Section titled “When buying (Big Picture) makes sense”- Faster time to market — Big Picture provides a complete solution that can be integrated in weeks, not months
- Focus on core product — Engineering teams can focus on application features rather than infrastructure
- Proven architecture — Big Picture’s design incorporates lessons from update frameworks, licensing platforms, and enterprise IT tools
- Modern security posture — Built-in signed decisions, hash verification, and SOC2/banking-friendly design
- Vendor-controlled mirrors — First-class support for regulated customers requiring self-hosted artifact distribution
- Integrated licensing — Lease-based licensing (PASETO) integrated with release governance, avoiding separate systems
Key capabilities to evaluate
Section titled “Key capabilities to evaluate”Release governance
Section titled “Release governance”- Multi-product catalog management
- Tenant-aware policy and staging
- Explicit update actions (AUTO_INSTALL, NOTIFY, MANAGED_BY_IT)
- Staged rollouts with percentage and cohort controls
- Global and per-tenant kill switches
Security and trust
Section titled “Security and trust”- Signed update metadata and snapshot bundles
- Hash-verified artifacts
- CDN/mirror tamper resistance
- SOC2/banking-friendly design
Distribution
Section titled “Distribution”- SaaS or vendor self-host deployment options
- Vendor-controlled downstream mirrors for regulated customers
- Outbound-only operation support
- Air-gapped deployment capabilities
Licensing
Section titled “Licensing”- Per-user, per-machine, and floating license models
- Cloud or local license server options
- Short-lived lease tokens (PASETO v4.public)
- No offline keys required (air-gapped implies local server)
Cost considerations
Section titled “Cost considerations”Building internally requires:
- Initial development time (typically 6-12 months for a comparable system)
- Ongoing maintenance and security updates
- Infrastructure costs for hosting and scaling
- Engineering time for feature development and bug fixes
Buying Big Picture provides:
- Immediate access to all capabilities
- Ongoing updates and improvements
- Support and documentation
- Faster integration and deployment
Decision framework
Section titled “Decision framework”- Assess requirements — Do Big Picture’s capabilities meet your needs?
- Evaluate timeline — How quickly do you need a solution?
- Consider resources — Do you have the engineering capacity to build and maintain?
- Review total cost — Compare development and maintenance costs against Big Picture licensing
- Assess risk — Building introduces technical risk; buying provides a proven solution
Suggested approach
Section titled “Suggested approach”Start with Big Picture to validate the approach and get to market quickly. If unique requirements emerge later, Big Picture’s architecture supports customization and integration points.