Defined by Google,Open-source software (OSS) is computer software that is available with source code: the source code and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright holders are provided under an open-source license that permits users to study, change, improve and at times also to distribute the software. There are many examples of open source software that you might not be aware of. For example, Mozilla Firefox, Linux, and some sections of android are open source. OSS has many benefits that include but are not limited to security, cost, quality, and flexibility.
Open source software has the potential to be more secure than its proprietary software counterpart. It may seem backwards, right? How can the software that is written and designed by thousands of people be safer and more secure than the software that is designed by paid developers? Well here is how. OSS can be seen and looked over by thousands. Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, said it best when he said, "Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow." With open source, thousands of people can look at the code and find security problems. Proprietary software on the other hand only has its developers to look at it and find the security risks.
Open Source Software costs a significant amount less than its counter part. OSS can be developed by up to thousands of individuals that do not get paid. This reduces the overall cost of the software and because OSS doesn't have any licenses, users avoid paying a licensing fee.
Quality is also another major benefit of OSS. Users and developers are able to modify the code to make the software do the functions that benefits their needs best. In fact, in an article from PCWorld.com, it is said that a recent study has shown that enterprises are beginning to choose open source software more because it has more technical superiority than proprietary software.
Flexibility is the last benefit that I will cover. Open Source software requires fewer resources to run than proprietary software. This means that OSS can run on older hardware. Now you will no longer be forced to upgrade your hardware just because your software vendor thinks its time.
These are just a few benefits of Open Source Software. You can find many others in the PC world article, "10 Reasons Open Source is Good for Business."
Thank you for reading and in closing I will provide you with a joke.
What do you call a fish with no eyes?
A: FSH
-Curt R
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