Open-Source Software: Is It for You? Avenal CA

Posted by : Cyndi Mitchell

Many public and private organizations of all sizes might be missing out on the benefits of open source software (OSS) because they simply don't understand how it could benefit their enterprise. Chief information officers (CIOs) and IT departments that do see the benefits of exploring OSS are often put off by the ongoing debates about risk, licensing,support, and maturity of open source. And, those organizations that do explore OSS often employ a misguided one-size-fits-all approach to evaluation, selection, utilization, and management within the company.

This type of thinking about OSS is causing many IT organizations to miss out on the ongoing practical value that can be realized from using what is now a vast and diverse toolkit of useful software components.

What is open-source software?

In general, open source refers to any program whose source code is made available for use or modification as users or other developers see fit.Historically, the makers of proprietary software have generally not made source code available. OSS is usually developed as a public collaboration and made freely available. The OSS license tends to favor the end-users of the software, as opposed to a propriety license, which favors the software vendor.

Linux, the operating system that's part of the family of UNIX-basedOSes, is one of the most popular open-source software products.

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