Why Open Source?
Why Open Source?

First of all it is worth defining what  'open source' means in the context of software. This is not easy as even now highly respected people disagree on what 'open source' should mean but below are two definitions which are both useful.


Definition of Open Source Software from www.wikipedia.org

 

...free and open source software, also F/OSS, FOSS, or FLOSS (for Free/Libre/Open Source Software) is software which is liberally licensed to grant the right of users to study, change, and improve its design through the availability of its source code. This approach has gained both momentum and acceptance as the potential benefits have been increasingly recognised by both individuals and corporate players.


Or an alternative explanation from the Open Source Initiative is:


Open source is a development method for software that harnesses the power of distributed peer review and transparency of process. The promise of open source is better quality, higher reliability, more flexibility, lower cost, and an end to predatory vendor lock-in.


Outserve considers open source software not as the free or cheap option nor as a political or social statement (unlike the Free Software Federation) but as the best decision based on business benefits such as:

 

  • Value for money due to reduction in software licenses
  • The lack of software licenses allows more to be invested in consultancy, customisation and training, therefore maximising the benefits of the software.
  • Freedom. Reduced vendor lock-in.
  • In some cases better security
  • In a lot of cases technically better software

 

Lets look at two areas that are very important in software in more detail - bugs and security.