This article provides an overview of Free and open source software (FOSS) concepts for both enterprise software clients and vendors that would like to be let in on the buzz resonating from the FOSS-related change in the software industry. I will address FOSS concepts in two parts. The first concerns the FOSS origin and rapid evolution as manifested in global customer demand trends. The second reviews reasons that enterprise clients and government organizations generate this demand as well as why it should push software providers to continue to meet it.
A Basic Background
Let me note a couple terms used in this article, source code and project. These may seem obvious but to the majority of people the terms are not exactly commonplace. Source code refers to a software programmer's art. The programmer writes code, which becomes the software we use. Source code is what people modify to fix problems (bugs) in a program and create new versions of the program. The second term, project, as used in this article refers to open source projects. Open source software is generally developed from a core project managed by a person or team and there may be multiple offshoots from that project. For example, a team may start a project to develop an open source content management system but will also form a business entity to support users of that software project. The business itself is not the core project but it is based on the project and will likely be a participant in the project.
Free software (referred to in this article with a capital F) is software accessible via a license that grants users permission, in perpetuity, to copy, modify, study, and distribute the software's source code. It is a philosophy about the development, distribution, and accessibility of software, namely the freedom involved to that end—Free does not refer to price. Open source is a pragmatic argument favouring the use of Free software. The open source argument promotes the cost savings, security, stability, and efficient development generally associated with Free software.
A Basic Background
Let me note a couple terms used in this article, source code and project. These may seem obvious but to the majority of people the terms are not exactly commonplace. Source code refers to a software programmer's art. The programmer writes code, which becomes the software we use. Source code is what people modify to fix problems (bugs) in a program and create new versions of the program. The second term, project, as used in this article refers to open source projects. Open source software is generally developed from a core project managed by a person or team and there may be multiple offshoots from that project. For example, a team may start a project to develop an open source content management system but will also form a business entity to support users of that software project. The business itself is not the core project but it is based on the project and will likely be a participant in the project.
Free software (referred to in this article with a capital F) is software accessible via a license that grants users permission, in perpetuity, to copy, modify, study, and distribute the software's source code. It is a philosophy about the development, distribution, and accessibility of software, namely the freedom involved to that end—Free does not refer to price. Open source is a pragmatic argument favouring the use of Free software. The open source argument promotes the cost savings, security, stability, and efficient development generally associated with Free software.
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