CNET News: Commentary: The Way of Linux

“Despite its recent rise to fame, open-source software isn’t
new–after all, it’s anchored the Internet with BIND and Sendmail
for decades and runs more Web servers than any proprietary
alternative. What’s different now? Open-source software–and the
hardware from Intel and Advanced Micro Devices that most users run
it on–has passed the good-enough point. Put another way, today’s
open-source rewards outweigh the risks.

“But sorting through the open-source propaganda and avoiding
open-source choices that don’t make sense–like desktop operating
systems–isn’t easy. To avoid gaffes, start your strategy-planning
process with answers to these questions: What’s different about
open-source software? Which open-source products should firms use?
What’s the right open-source deployment strategy? Which vendors can
help with open source…?”

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