A survey by Black Duck Software and North Bridge says that 78% of companies use open-source software. It has also found that the adoption of open-source software has increased by 63% over the past decade. Open-source software (OSS) is a type of software that is becoming extremely popular these days. It allows users to access and modify their source code freely.
Open-source software is a category of computer software distributed under a licence, but The source code is available to all users. The software’s copyright owners permit users to use it and make useful changes to the source code to add new features, enhance existing features, and fix any current bugs.
Popular Open-source software in various categories
Operating systems: Android, Ubuntu, Linux
Internet browsers: Mozilla Firefox, Chromium
Integrated Development Environment (IDEs): Vs code (Visual Studio Code), Android Studio, PyCharm, Xcode
Let’s understand the benefits of open-source software:
Cost
Open–source software is usually free, making it an attractive option for individuals and organizations with limited budgets. The Linux open operating system was first released in 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Today, Linux is used by millions of users worldwide and is a popular choice for servers, supercomputers, and mobile devices. The open–source nature of Linux has allowed it to be customized and adapted to various environments, making it a versatile and reliable operating system.
Flexibility
Open-source software is highly customizable, allowing users to modify the source code to fit their needs. This is especially useful for businesses and organizations that require software tailored to their unique processes.
WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS) first released in 2003. It is used by millions of websites worldwide and is known for its ease of use and flexibility. It can be customized and extended with plugins and themes, making it a popular choice for websites of all types and sizes.
Security
With open-source software, users can access the source code, which means they can quickly identify and fix security vulnerabilities. This is in contrast to proprietary software, where users have to rely on the software vendor to provide security patches. Studies have shown that the security of open-source software is generally as good or better than proprietary software. A survey by Coverity found that the defect density in open-source software is lower than in proprietary software.
Apache is an open-source web server software that was first released in 1995. It is the most widely used web server software, powering over 40% of all websites. Apache is continuously improved upon by a global community of developers, resulting in stable and secure web server software.
Collaboration
Open-source software projects are often collaborative efforts involving developers worldwide. For example, GitHub, a popular platform for hosting open-source software, has over 100 million repositories and over 65 million developers. This collaboration can lead to creating high-quality, continually improving and evolving software.
Mozilla Firefox web browser, an open-source software, allows users to collaborate and add extensions and themes to modify the browser’s functionality and appearance. The open-source nature of Firefox also means that security vulnerabilities can be quickly identified and fixed by the global community of developers working on the project.
Transparency
Open-source software is transparent, allowing users to see how it works and make informed decisions about its use. This transparency also helps to build trust between users and software developers.
Conclusion
Open source is changing the economics of innovation by providing businesses with strong capabilities without requiring them to make initial investments. Open–source software has compelled digital juggernauts to change course in addition to levelling the playing field for startups. Businesses that determine how to benefit from the depth and breadth of the open community can save time, and cost, get a competitive edge and improve their capacity for innovation.
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