ACM Queue: Open Source to the Core

"The open source development model is not exactly new. Individual engineers have been using open source as a collaborative development methodology for decades. Now that it has come to the attention of upper and middle management, however, it's finally being openly acknowledged as a commercial engineering force-multiplier and important option for avoiding significant software development costs.

"To put it another way, what object-oriented programming often promises in terms of encouraging 'code re-use,' open source software is definitely delivering. This does not come without certain costs and potential pitfalls, of course. This article describes the open source adoption process at a typical commercial software operation and discusses some of the more important checklist items that any evaluation of open source as an engineering option should include..."

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• osViews: Is Open Source Development Condemned to Just the 'Sexy' Projects?(May 19, 2004)