Advantages Of Open Source Technologies

By Author: Tasha Thompson
Total Articles: 10
Comment this article

Open-Source Technologies are those technologies that are available in source code form. The source code and certain other rights which are normally reserved with copyrights are placed as open source under open source technology, i.e., with no any copyright applicable and developers, manufacturers or user can take advantage of it under an open-source license that permit them to study, change, improve and at times also to distribute the software.

Open source software is very often developed in a public, collaborative manner. Open-source software is the most prominent example of open-source development and often compared to user-generated content or open content movements.

Advantages of Open Source Technology :-

• Bug Free
• Auditability
• Flexibility and Freedom

Bug Free

Open Source Technology is usually bug free. Bugs are those shortfalls that users notice while using the software. Defects which cause incorrect operation, data loss or sudden failures, or a failure to meet the specification mentioned firsthand also constitute bug. However, a bug is usually by ...
... agreement amongst the developers and users of the software. Failure to conform to appropriate published standards, security related failings (exploits or vulnerabilities) are clearly bugs too.

Each of these kinds of bugs is usually addressed with speedy fixes wherever possible and Open Source advocates will claim very rapid time-to-fix characteristics for software. Severe defects tend to be fixed within hours of their being detected, a process which is undoubtedly assisted by the availability of the source code.

Many a times, developers who discover a bug, fix it as well and then report it to the maintainers as issuing an updated version of the software on their own authority. Other users of that open source software have liberty to choose whether to use the unofficial fix or wait for an `official' version.

Auditability

Vendors of closed-source make a lot of claims regarding quality, security, freedom from backdoors, adherence to standards and flexibility but in absence of open-source code, these claims remain simply claims. And users have no other option than to trust the vendors, especially in case of future changes.

But the authors of open-source code earn the trust of users instead of forcing it like the vendors of closed-source code.

Flexibility and Freedom

One other advantage of open-source code is that it gives flexibility and freedom to its users from lock-in conditions regarding purchase of products, i.e., it does not force its users to purchase any product from particular manufacturers. It is free of dependency on related products. If user feels that the product works best with other products from the same manufacturer, he/she can purchase it or even can refer to other manufacturers for their products.

Freedom from a single vendor

In case of closed-source code software, you have no option but to agree with the vendors in case they arbitrarily decide to cease development of a product you are using. The business suffers a lot in these types of scenario. However, in case of open source software, you have the freedom to not just retain the software but also the ability to continue to use it as your needs change.

Freedom to modify your software

Open-source software can be tailored for the way you do business. It is usually within the resources of all but the smallest companies to modify Open Source software to suit their own needs (and potentially then to make those enhancements available as a public good). If in-house development skills don't exist, a short email to the project's mailing list will usually find a suitable consultant.