Open-source software: pros and cons

Tigran Zargaryan, Library of the Academy of Sciences (Armenia, Yerevan)

11/17/2008
(Original Publish Date: 8/1/2007)

The use of open source software has grown rapidly in the last years, and the studies indicate that its use grows rapidly /1, 2, 3, 4/. OSS is widely used in many domains, including libraries. However, many libraries (especially those in developing countries) are unaware of the options provided by OSS and so are looking to commercial vendors for support. Just several years ago, few people had heard the terms "open source software". Those who had heard it incorrectly believed it to be exclusively the domain of programmers and technical people. Today this perception has changed. OSS has rapidly shifted from a model driven purely by the developer community and university support to one where a main driver is industry. Not only has open source spawned a thriving environment of small focused businesses, typically devoted to development and support of specific products or to maintenance and integration activities, it has also reshaped the business models and affected the strategies of large firms, including such major industrial players as IBM, Oracle, Philips, Nokia and SAP /5/.The true value of open source software is recognized through numerous projects where OSS is used to provide affordable community access points, build new business initiatives and develop computer literacy. OSS is one of the best examples of open, collaborative, internationally distributed production and development that exists today, and has generated tremendous interest around the world from government, policy, business, academic, research and developer communities.