Why Everyone Should Consider Using Open-Source Software?

Are you someone who is using open-source software? Well, most of us are. And why not, in a world where everything is paid, these software and platforms are a blessing in disguise. Thanks to plenty of advantages that are offered by open-source software which added into increasing their popularity manifolds. The fact is, that open-source platforms have taken a big leap in the last few years. It has allowed developers across the globe to collaborate with each other to share their valuable insights, develop new programs and solve problems together that can benefit the entire IT community. In this post, we have tried to include a few points in support of why everyone should consider using open-source software.

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Flexibility

Undoubtedly, flexibility is one of the biggest reasons that everyone should consider using open-source software. There are several traditional software solutions that come with contractual limits, due to which companies are left with no option but to lock themselves by the technology or vendors. This makes it difficult for organizations to upgrade, scale, or even negotiate the terms and are left at the mercy of vendors to finalize the pricing. Other than this, software companies don’t provide users with the flexibility with respect to the tools to edit the source code so that businesses can mold them as per their requirements.  

The permissions and rules defined in the open-source software are much more relaxed than their counterparts. Because of this, it is convenient for open source solutions to scale whenever there is a requirement. Instead of spending the time on renegotiation about the terms of use, companies can devote it to completing other productive tasks. The codes of open-source software are easy to tweak so that developers can change them in line with the business process. 

Improved Security and Transparency

One thing that is of the most value for any organization is the company’s sensitive information. With IT being the solution for all the problems these days, it is easier than ever for online fraudsters to get a hand on this information. Cybercriminals are crafty and have learned new tactics. This is why it is imperative for organizations to use the safest available software to keep their delicate data in a secure environment. In most companies, the software is coded by a small team of developers and that too in a stipulated time period under tight deadlines. This either results in substandard codes or gaps that are an open invitation for hackers to gain access to the company’s data. 

This is why everyone should consider using open-source software as unlike traditional software, the source codes in open-source solutions are made available to everyone. This gives a chance to white hat professionals to review the codes, provide improvements and close vulnerabilities. The process also makes the contribution of such IT professionals accountable and cuts down the time to push an update to a great extent. Consider the example of the Linux operating system which is considered to be one of the most secured available software solutions in the world and it is fully open source. 

Cost-Effective

Most proprietary software is expensive and comes only after burning a hole in the pocket. It is also not possible for all the companies to spend a hefty amount first on purchasing and then on license renewals. Here comes one of the biggest reasons why everyone should consider using open-source software as they are free of cost. The amount that a company is spending on funding costly software can be used in things that are more productive and beneficial to the company. For enterprises that are in the early stages of nurturing and are tight on budget, open-source software is a boon for them.

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Quality Codes and Innovative

Other reasons why everyone should consider using open-source software is the quality of codes and the innovation that comes from it. As stated earlier, open-source software is managed by a relatively smaller team of developers who work under strict timelines. This often results in suboptimal codes causing frequent crashes, bugs, errors and poorly managed codes. Sometimes, these problems bring the system to a standstill for days which results in high costs for the enterprises while the developers are fixing these proprietary products. 

On the other hand, open-source software drives innovation as the communities working on the codes try to improve it to fulfill their desire and passion rather than doing it for the sake of getting paid. They like to make their contributions to add new functionalities to the existing codes to make them more disruptive and advanced as per the market standards. 

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Examples of Open-Source Projects

Everyone should consider using open-source software. Do you know why? Well, look at this list of open-source software and platforms available for the user and you will get to know.

Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox or simply Firefox is one of the most popular internet browsers which is open-source software available completely free. It was created by Mozilla Foundation in the year 2002 and is compatible with Android, iOS, Linux and Windows. In fact, Firefox is considered one of the most secure browsers which provides protection against phishing and malware attacks from dangerous websites.

VLC Media Player

If you are someone who is looking for a video or audio player, which is ad-free, and protects you from spyware or even user tracking, your quest ends here at VLC Media Player. It has remained the most popular option among users for decades and supports almost all file formats that you can think of. It is so versatile that if you are playing a movie using VLC Media Player and it doesn’t have subtitles, you can simply download it from the web, add the file to the movie and it’s Done!

LibreOffice

At present, LibreOffice is the best alternative available to Microsoft Office 365 and offers to create spreadsheets, word files, making presentations and databases. Unlike MS Office 365 which works on a pricing model and license renewal, LibreOffice is entirely free of cost. It has a huge base of contributors and comes in 115 languages. 

Python

Python is a popular programming language and is considered one of the best examples of open-source software. Thanks to its library, super easy syntax, versatility, and free availability that it is preferred by a plethora of developers. Python is primarily used for developing mobile applications, video games, and web applications, among others. No matter if you are a novice or an experienced coder, it is easier to learn Python than other languages. 

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PHP

PHP is another scripting language which is open source and is used to create interactive and dynamic web pages. But do you know what is the best part about using PHP? You can conveniently embed PHP with HTML. Not just that, things like session tracking, handling dynamic content and developing e-commerce applications are quite easy to do using PHP. Also, it is compatible with most browsers and operating systems, including macOS, Windows and Linux.

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