LinuxInsider: Open Source: Assessing the TCO Picture

"Open source has created a paradigm shift in the way software is provided. In simple terms, open-source software is code that is put in the public domain with a series of provisos: Any party is allowed to use and distribute the software at no cost; but equally important, any party is free to improve and revise the software, with the stipulation that they make their source code for doing so publicly available.

"In other words, if you take advantage of contributions from the open-source community in developing a product, you share your creation with the community as well. This collaborative approach has led to a rapid process of improvement for open-source products, and a strong support community.

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