What is open source?

Open Source Software is software with the source code open for you to see, change, and learn from. This gives you power and freedom, with no technology lock-in and less risks.

Open source software and the internet go together like bread and butter. Projects like Apache (running the vast majority of internet sites today), sendmail, Linux, Firefox and many more all play enourmous roles in the on-going operation of the internet at large.

The main benefits of open source software are:

• ZERO licensing costs
• Free of licensing restrictions imposed by most commercial products
  Users are largely free to modify, redistribute and integrate the software into other products
• Open development and auditing process
  Open source software has enjoyed a stellar security record. Because the source code is freely available for examination by anyone who wants to, security holes and potential problems are rapidly found and fixed
• Everyone is free to participate
  Anyone around the world who has an interest and the ability is free to join the project. The absence of member restrictions greatly enhances the talent pool for a given project, ultimately contributing to a higher quality product

For more information on open source, visit http://www.opensource.org/