WHY BUSINESSES ARE CHOOSING OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE | Charter Global

1. WHY BUSINESSES ARE CHOOSING OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE Popularity of Enterprise-level Open Source Software Solutions Attributed to Benefits like Adaptability, Customization, and Affordability. Executives are choosing Open Source software and finding great success. More and more organizations are choosing it over proprietary software and a lot more will make this transition in years to come. Understanding the concept of open source software and its functionality is key to utilizing the benefits. Charter Global has the knowledge and experience for the most successful Open Source transition. What is Open Source Software? As the name suggests, Open Source Software Development is one whose original source code is publicly available and can be modified at will. This type of software either has its source code publicly available or includes it somewhere inside the compiled software download, making it easy for the user to modify, customize or add/remove features based on their preferences. Contributions to Open Source The open source concept has contributed significantly to software development. Because of its open nature, it becomes easy for contributors to add new features, extend features and fix bugs. These changes usually reflect in newer versions along with the source code for further improvement. This makes it a formidable system that can run for a long term and is adaptive to all kinds of conditions. Affordability: There is no need to spend a fortune on proprietary software where additional charges for maintenance and software updates are involved. With open source software, contributors make all the needed changes. It performs well in real time because of the contributions from multiple individual experts. There is always a customized version that meets specific requirements out there! Customizable: Open Source Software Development Solutions shares its source code, making it quite easy to understand and modify as required. This is unlike commercial software, where every time a

2. change is required in the product, the vendor has to be contacted, and then wait for them to deliver the feature (which can take forever). Adaptive: The source code of the open source software is available publicly and its modifications are not limited to a particular person or organization. Additionally, it has an extendibility scope that is not limited to any particular design or architecture. Because of these factors, anyone can use the open source software, as it was designed using ideas from multiple people with varied intentions. Therefore it stands a better chance of performing well in complex scenarios. Solid Security: Security is better in the open source system, because there are experienced experts from all over, always looking out for possible security loopholes and fixing them. This is one feature that gives the open source an edge over proprietary software. Better Support: Typical open source software has numerous documentations as well as community wikis that host answers to frequently asked questions. Individuals and group experts who worked on the technology/platform are available on online open source forums. Some of the open source vendors are also available to provide support for the software for a small fee. Finding Resources: As mentioned in the previous point, resources for open source are available everywhere. On the other hand, commercial software developers seldom share their codes or documentation to everyone. So, this makes it quite difficult to find the resources or build knowledge in that technology. Charter Global’s Capabilities in Open Source Charter Global is known for their expertise in building software and providing services using open source technology. We have successfully developed and delivered hundreds of projects to our clients. Among the many services we render at Charter Global, we develop applications and tools using open source. For More Information, please visit our website: https://www.charterglobal.com/technology-solutions/open-source-solutions/