Think Well About Open Source Software & Proprietary Software....

While many companies use the open source technologies, few use the paid ones or the Proprietary software or closed source software. It has always been a question of debate as which one is better than the other...? Before I could reach on any conclusion, I thought to put some points or parameters, which will help in understanding these terms in a better manner.

First lets us understand what Open Source Software and Proprietary Software mean -

Open Source Software : It is actually referred to software or technologies, whose source code is available to all. Now this source code could be modified, improved or changed by anybody. All this carried under the the GNU (General Public License), which is responsible for releasing the improvised versions for free in the market. For ex. –  PHP, Python, Apache HTTP Server, GNOME, etc.

Proprietary Software or Closed Source Software : This software, whose source code is not available to all. It is basically licensed under absolute legal right of the copyright owner with the objective that the user is entitled to use the software only under specific situations. The use of this kind of software is restricted from other uses, like - modification, sharing and redistribution. For ex. – Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows etc.

Following are few factors that may help while evaluating Open Source Software and Proprietary Software options:

1.    Strong Community

Few open source projects have huge society of open source programmers. These developers always try to update their libraries with new and fresh codes. It is sort of a contribution to many other developers. Before choosing one, search whether this technology have a robust community or no.

 2.     Support System

There are times when you can get stuck with one issue, and u need support or help from someone or some kind of written, video, online, etc. documentation. Do try to find out does the open source product you are installing, have a collection of authentic documentations when needed for references.

 3.    Expert Staff

In few situations, it may happen that you need to add on codes and customise the product for the client. During this kind of requirement, expert staff is needed, so that you can manage out of the box solutions for the client. It should be kept in mind, that while opting for open source software, one should also have the facility of Microsoft .net expert programmers, if needed.

 4.    Time Check

Always choose that kind of technology, where you have maximum facilities in place, because if a project has very less time limit, it will be difficult to complete the task with constraints. Your maximum time will be wasted in collecting the right information.

Whether to opt for Open Source or Closed Source, it solely depends on the kind of project and its requirements. Just evaluate every point and further go for the particular technology.