Advances in automated sensing technologies enable precise monitoring of structural deformations in buildings and infrastructure. Modern geodetic methods combined with complementary sensors support reliable deformation analysis, while interest in flexible, open, and configurable monitoring systems continues to grow. Terrestrial and GNSS-based measurements provide positional changes relative to a reference epoch, supported by software for data integration and management. Traditional systems, however, remain costly and hardware intensive. Distributed open geo-sensor networks offer scalable and adaptable alternatives. Selecting an appropriate system requires evaluating reliability, accuracy, and continuous 24/7 operation, with practical projects often revealing the need for customization. This paper presents how these demands can be addressed open, programmable architectures providing rapid adaptability. The practical application of such a low-cost system in pilot application is demonstrated. Selected measurement results of loading test are used to discuss the performance, accuracy, reliability, and limitations of such open monitoring systems to support their application across diverse infrastructure domains.