Copyright (c) 2008 Adam Nowak

The aim of this work is to make the reader with the basic idea of open source software distribution and compare the familiar main characteristics of this solution with the functionality of commercial software. Particular attention is given to describing the benefits of Open Source in business applications.

Open Source ideology />
The idea of Open Source Software (OSS) has for many years. Its main objective is to pass the program's source code and the right program and its code for free. This requirement applies to all types of sales programming -. Both the commercial sale and distribution of free />
The software is free for non-commercial environment, quality and availability underlines a program and not try to maximize the total profit at any cost. These students were, groups of programmers and companies combine geek science to the economy, which helped to popularize this form of distribution programs. the GNU Project and the nucleus of an open system played Unix-Linux project is a very important role.

To the most popular and most used open-source GNU GPL. On the basis of free software license is the most sold worldwide (including the Linux kernel). This license – in comparison with commercial licenses – protects the rights of the user and not the rights of producers

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The Open Source Initiative is a major problem for companies selling commercial software with closed source. These companies aim to profit from the sale of their products. To be profitable, they usually try their customers and their dependents. Fiscal policy and the desire to surpass the competition product launches often imperfect. Arguments against what the OSS software vendors are apparently closed source right: lack of responsibility for an OSS product, lack of support, anonymous authors. In fact, it is protected only illusion marketing and attempted his own business. Why? The responsibility for the OSS product and support can be purchased as a service by a number of others and if solved the author’s anonymity provided by opening the code – anyone can control and change either their own or use OSS vendors freely chosen. It makes the customers whatever the provider after the completion of the transaction / purchase. The client can not with the subject who sold the program together.

Open standards

Commercial software vendors use different techniques to their customers to make products to load. The most popular technique is known closed and undocumented standard file format that is the producer.

The nature of OSS makes such transactions possible – opening the source code is not possible to hide the program of their mechanisms. Open-source licenses (eg GPL), it is impossible to enter codes reserved for open source projects, for example. under these licensing fees. Therefore, it is not possible that some others in future claims against persons who have contributed to an open source program on the basis of such a license.

In the development of OSS applications, programmers often popular, well documented and open technologies – open standards. Open standards can prevent the software provided by different companies and allow the use dependence of the buyer on terms dictated by a single supplier. Consequently, customers can choose the solution that offers the best value for money. Open standards offer flexibility, important in combining different IT solutions and contributes to the sustainability and availability of information.

Benefits of Open Source

From the perspective of enterprise applications, the specific nature of OSS is low price, such a solution. When the implementation of a DS, the customer pays – usually little or nothing – the only product at the time of purchase, the problem of buying and renewal of the license expensive for each user in this case are not present. Since the customer gets the right to use and modify the product, it can pass … even for free. Therefore, OSS programs are generally free to win prizes that the tree and its service providers through the support services they provide. Care for the quality of services is important here – an unhappy customer can decide at any time to another provider

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The use of open source software increases the reliability and security of information systems: The user can, with the help of others or by himself, how exactly does the OSS program. Without risk, it may decide to use this software in the basic branches of its activity. closed source software lack this feature – sometimes steal data modules of the user are secretly installed it;. They spy on the user’s work or by unauthorized persons on the system resources of the victim using

The sustainability of open source software plays an important role “provider of software can not do pull their customers from the old version of the product and buy a new one. The strategy of” support for closing a particular version of the product, often used by commercial companies will not be used in the case of open source software – if the company ends on the support of a particular product, their role may be supplanted by other (competing) issues, or the client itself – because they have access to the complete source code of the product as a result! the client will be the only topic for the lifecycle of a busy schedule.

Who uses open source?

Until recently, OSS has been restricted to academic and scientific and IT enthusiasts. As a condition of use of this software has been rich in IT expertise and experience. Lack of support causes some huge commercial interest in open source software in business.

For several years, it is a dynamic growth in the interest of free software projects in administrative and business have been. Governments in many countries (especially the members of the European Union) insist that the use of OSS in their offices. Free software is increasingly used in business (eg banks) and military centers. The main reasons for interest in open source software are:

The market is highly monopolized business solutions. Regarding the production of closed source systems demand and high prices for the opportunity to use their products. OSS are the same products for much less money. Another advantage of free software is an independent product warranty and the supplier of permanence.

The extent of piracy and abuse in the World Wide Web in recent years has revealed the dark side of closed source software -. Low quality of code (known only from the manufacturer) have contributed to many gaps in security systems

The code of open-source programs in their development by many people interested verified. The OSS project is constantly monitored by its users – errors are found in almost immediately (by the applicant or by third parties who have full access to source code) will be deleted. As an effect, the reaction time for a “hole” is measured in hours rather than days / months as in the case of closed source software (which happens sometimes – though less frequently – that the manufacturer denies the existence of a fault detected).

The scandals associated with the introduction of a code spy software closed (extorted by manufacturers, for example, by military means) undermines the sense of using such a solution in critical applications. The ability to verify and monitor the Code in those areas where security is provided ultimate price. Put the governments of many countries (today mainly European) pressure on the administration and the army not to closed source solutions (currently mainly American) to be used. For example, the governments of France, Germany, Italy, Finland and the Netherlands to use free software in the systems of the central government (eg insurance systems). encourage the official website of the Dutch government can use OSS as an example. There are companies growing market that support open source projects. Giants like IBM, HP, SGI and Novell install Linux as free software, and lying on their servers. These companies will not benefit from distributing the software, but hardware sales and services.

Many advanced technologies for the operating system and the closure to be made available for free in the Linux kernel introduced and their owners. Much of the XFS file system, Silicon Graphics, Inc. created and derived from the Irix system may be an example. Now, Linux is not just by amateurs but by teams of engineers who represents companies such as Intel, SGI, IBM and Novell.

Advanced
More and more companies are small and medium-sized companies also offer commercial support for open source software in that implementation, modification and maintenance concerns. This creates favorable conditions for the application of open source software in solving business problems.


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