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Advantages to Open Source Software

Reduced Dependence

The majority of commercial vendors place reliance on the end user for maintenance and support and the necessity for the buyer to accept version upgrades regardless of whether or not the user wants them. Many agree that this is an undesirable position to be in. For example, when Microsoft announces a new version of its Windows Server operating system, it invariably phases out support for older versions of the system. Users that are satisfied with older versions of Windows will eventually be forced to upgrade if they want to continue receiving support from the vendor. In contrast, there is no forced upgrade cycle with open source software. Older versions of open source products continue to be supported through the open source community and third party support providers, providing there is demand for such support in the marketplace.

The primary concern for many businesses is the avoidence of vendor lock-in, which restricts the buyer's freedom in terms of what he/she would like to use. Ironically the best way for software vendors to preserve (and even gain) their market share is to give buyer's the opportunity to abandon their products. Commercial software vendors should be taking measures to ensure that their software doesn't force vendor lock-in, adhere to open standards and develop web services that promote interoperability between their product range (in addition to other vendors and / or open source products).

Cost

The total cost of ownership of open source software is considerably lower to that of commercial packages. This cost relates to the acquisition and implementation of a solution. Open source software boasts a number of advantages in terms of cost. These become most apparent during the acquisition, maintenance and transition phases of the cycle.

Acquisition

The cost of acquisition is far lower compared to a commercial piece of software, as many developers release their code free of charge. Once an initial version of a piece of open source software is released for free, subsequent versions and adaptations are also released free of charge. Proprietary software developers will always charge for upgrades.

Maintenance and Common Use

Due to the availability of source code, bugs are discovered and fixed at an astonishing speed if you are accustomed to the slow paced development cycle associated with proprietary software. In certain circumstances it can be impossible for developers of proprietary software to fix problems, as older versions are less likely to be supported for example. Even when it is possible to obtain source code for proprietary software, big fixing must usually be done by the manufacturer of the software, which will in effect render the source code useless to other developers. When open source software is enhanced and adapted to changing computer platforms, the software benefits from a far greater lifetime and promotes incremental reuse and improvement.

Transition

Many computer systems are designed and implemented to replace older systems, so the transition from one to the other needs to be as streamlined as possible. The real value within any transition process is the data itself. Data translation is a difficult process and can often become impossible if there is not enough information available on the format used for the storage. Open source software can overcome this problem as it is portable - meaning it can be ported and adapted to new architectures and translated to new formats. If proprietary systems are involved, data loss or the expensive process of recoding may be required when the only platform that runs the software is no longer available.

Availability

Availability of source code and the right to modify enables unlimited tuning and improvement of a software product. It also makes it possible to port the code to new hardware, to adapt it to changing conditions, and to reach a detailed understanding of how the system works. This is why many experts are reaching the conclusion that to really extend the lifetime of an application, it must be available in source form. In fact, no binary-only application more than 10 years old now survives in unmodified form, while several open source software systems from the 1980s are still in widespread use (although in many cases conveniently adapted to new environments). Source code availability also makes it much easier to isolate bugs, and (for a programmer) to fix them.

Redistribution

The right to redistribute modifications and improvements to the code and to reuse other open source code, permits all the advantages due to the modifiability of the software to be shared by large communities. This is usually the point that differentiates open source software licences from 'nearly free' ones. In substance, the fact that redistribution rights cannot be revoked, and that they are universal, is what attracts a substantial crowd of developers to work around open source software projects.

Customisation = Quality

The right to use the software in any way, combined with redistribution rights, ensures (if the software is useful enough), a large population of users. This in turn helps to build up a market for support and customisation of the software, which can only attract more and more developers to work on the project. Consquently this will help improve the quality of the product, and to improve its functionality. This will cause more and more users to try the product (with the possibility that they will use it regularly).