The Benefits of Open Source Software
As amazing as it sounds, there are hundreds of companies and foundations out there that actively develop and distribute software for no cost. The reason for them opening up their software is varied, but the advantages to the consumers is huge.
Way back in the 70′s, computer hobbyists and nerds would programme software and give it to other geeks for nothing to try and make it better. Then along came a man called Bill Gates who saw a entrepreneurial opportunity in creating software for computers and designed Altair BASIC. Rather alarmingly for him, his product was also pirated around and he ended up writing a pointed letter describing why software should not be free (Google Bill Gates Open Letter).
In the past few years, the open source collective has been winning a significant foothold in the software market, probably driven by developing nations who can’t afford the licensing fees of commercial software like Windows, Word, Dreamweaver and even Programming Languages.
There are free versions of just about everything, from operating systems to computer applications. The open source concept has even hit the food and drink market with open source recipes for wine and beer now available on the Internet. I am actually writing this informative article on a piece of open source software called Open Office, a free substitute to MS Word, and it’s powered by Ubuntu, an open source substitute to Windows or Mac OS X.
When it comes to the Internet, there is a lot of open source software around to run any kind of site. Web development companies such as WordPress and Wikimedia Foundation release software free for businesses to use. What makes it particularly enticing is that open source customization can be completed by most of companies around the Earth.
Using open source software to power your website sets up a fantastic base from which to start, for example WordPress is fantastic for virtually any kind of website, but with a bit of WordPress customization you can have it meet your exact desires for half of the cost of developing it from scratch.
Before you order your next script, always check to find out if there is an open source option on the market. Especially relevant during these economic conditions, open source scripts may be one way you or your company can drive down its costs.
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