Open Source technologies provide a number of significant benefits to our clients. The "many minds", or "crowd wisdom" approach to developing software tools results in very high quality products that have been examined, tested and used widely. There is no need to depend on a small "priesthood" of closeted developers to anticipate and create what they feel customers will want to use. No need to wait on those same developers to fix security holes and other bugs. Open Source teams and user/developers work hand in hand to keep sources fresh and current.

Cutting Edge

Open source products typically release frequently in small version increments, providing the features most in demand by their wide developer and user base. The progressive improvements in Postgres, from versions 7.4 to 8.4, were exemplary in this regard. Many of the minor releases provided query optimizations and other performance enhancements requested by developers like those of us at Authentrics.

Robust and Flexible

Because there are many eyes on the source code, open source products are usually well examined. Some (again like Postgres) are delivered with complete validation suites. The many-eyes principle ensures that the software is flexible enough to meet a broad range of needs, reflecting the broad range of users and devlopers using and viewing the code.

Easy Installation and Integration

Although there are exceptions, installation of open source is generally very simple. Anyone who has ever attempted Oracle installations can sympathize with the hours and "hair-pulling" involved, no matter how much experience you may have. Compare that with a MySQL or Postgres installation that typically takes a few minutes.

Often with proprietary products, the proverbial stars have to be in alignment for installation and operation to proceed. Exact versions and licenses have to be determined, obtained and set up before proceeding to the actual installation. With open source, tools like yum and aptget allow developers at Authentrics to install and integrate multiple tools in just minutes. Scores of others have already worked out the version compatibility behind the scenes, and helped to automate the process.

Great Support

Having worked extensively with both proprietary and open source software since its inception in 1992, open source wins, hands down. There is no need to wait on the phone for support personnel who follow a script to answer your questions, trying in vain to find an expert. Most problems you encounter have been encountered elsewhere, and they're documented. If not, direct access to developers is always available. The ExtJS javascript library is prime example of open source support.

Low or No Cost

Although many people think of this aspect first, it pales in comparison with the costs saved by an organization for all the reasons articulated above. Some open source groups charge modest fees for support, or for some versions of their product, while others are completely free. The key is keeping the source open and available for review and modification by the widest possible set of developers and users.