Why use Open Source?
Why should you use open source software rather than “closed” proprietary packages from a traditional software supplier?
- Independence from software suppliers: you are no longer tied to a single software supplier who owns the intellectual rights to the source code.
- Openness and security: you can check for yourself (or get someone else to) that the software does do what it promises to. Since the source code can be freely inspected, you are not dependent on the opinion of a single supplier about the quality of the software.
- Re-use of knowledge and software components. Closed source software has a tendency to keep on re-inventing the wheel. Open Source software grows organically; bad ideas die out, good ideas grow and are re-used in other projects.
- Open Standards. The concepts in an Open Source project are provided by developers and users from organizations all over the world. This enormous body of support means that many of these concepts become internationally accepted open standards. This provides interoperability.
- Open source development improves the quality. The evaluation of the quality of the software is carried out by all those involved in an open source project. This can be hundreds or even thousands of users and developers. In traditional closed source development, it is done by the suppliers themselves. The supplier then determines whether a particular functionality is needed and whether the quality of the software is sufficient for a delivery or an update.
- More easily adjusted to the user’s requirements. The fact that the code is open means that it is always possible to modify the software to suit existing systems, tools, platforms, databases, etc.