Organizations stumble upon huge amount of pressure and complexity while using closed source software. These complexities can be encounter by using Open Source Software (OSS). Below are Open Source Software advantages:
Cost reduction
There is a scope for huge cost savings as many open source software are free. It is one of the most important reasons to advocate using OSS. Though, there are other reasons too that compels business to use OSS.
Enhance Value and Quality
Every OSS gets reviewed by lot of IT professionals who suggests required changes to the software. Main developer incorporates suggested alteration that helps to enhance its value and quality. The program bugs are quickly detected by the people who provide feedback and most of the time resolution is also suggested. If there is any uncertainty about backdoor being built, it is fairly easy to verify the source code for them. In case of closed source software, businesses are solely dependent on vendor’s assurance that their software does not have any backdoor.
Liberty to customize
It is easy to tweak, if any organization would like to alter a core feature of the operating system. In the case of closed source systems, organization will be sued if they try to do so.
Easy choice of systems based on requirements
When open source gets upgraded; it has only one path while closed source software would have multiple paths of up-gradation. For example, MS Office has various versions such as home, student, business and professional. All versions do not include all features. Once open source software has been selected one time, there is only one option to upgrade to and this would contain more or less all features anyone would need.
This major variation is basically due to the way they function. Closed source software businesses, need to accumulate the highest revenue from all section of the target audience. Therefore after building a software, they keep slicing the features to make different versions. It does not make much sense to OSS organization as they get paid only for support and not for building more convolutions such as various editions. Therefore they develop only one version of the software.
Software developed by passionate people
Most of the OSS is developed and managed by professionals all over the globe who work on it due to their zeal and not because the work has been heave on them. When a bunch of passionate professionals develops anything the result is always incredible.
Support
The support level on online documentation, forums, wikis, mailing lists, etc. is of highest quality with no cost attach to it. In case additional support is required, there are support options available with additional cost where the OSS developer gets their revenue.
Freedom from external audits
When an organization purchase closed source software, they need sign an agreement, which grants the vendor the authority to check their systems for additional licenses which have not been purchased. So if a company purchase 1000 licenses all over the country and the audit discovers that the different regions have used more than 1000 licenses, company would be obliged to pay huge penalty. This type of outside monitoring is not there for OSS which is normally free to use.
Responsibility to the world at large
Most of the organization talks about corporate social responsibility in their vision statement. They also use some amount of their profit for corporate social responsibility. Instead of this, if an organization put its effort towards growing the information and tools open for anyone to use, it benefits not only the company but also everyone else. Consequently its entire endeavor goes towards making better world at large while benefiting itself.
Orchestrate is a US based business process management organization with Headquarter in Dallas, USA. Orchestrate satisfies to the diverse outsourcing requirements of clients in an extensive range of businesses, including IT, finance, mortgage, utilities and healthcare.
