The benefits of open source software within the government and Essay

The benefits of open source software within the government and business sector - Essay Example The open-source software is developing rapidly and their functionalities are highly competitive and in fact much better than closed-source software. Above all, all of the above advantages come at a very minimal price, not even a fraction of what is spent on the closed-source software. But, having said that, there are several disadvantages that could pose a threat to the future of open-source software. So, when considering all the pros and cons of open-source technology, the Information System (IS) managers have a very hard task in their hands on deciding whether to go for this kind of software. There are several issues that a manager has to look forward, the primary criteria, of course, to be in contention as the leader in a competitive industry. So, this decision aids a lot in deciding the future of an organization. An IS manager has to take into account, the cost involved, security, efficiency, throughput, servicing, innovation and several other issues that lead to take this crucial decision. An analysis of the benefits attained by several government organizations and private organizations and the predicted growth of these org anizations is discussed here. This includes a detailed discussion of the features of open-source software, the role of a manager with regard to open-source software, the current trends and the future of organizations implementing open-source software. The analysis concludes with the best practices for managers in organizations implementing this technology.(Fanini, 2005) Open source, in general terms, is a method followed to allow global accessibility to the source of a product. It allows people from different regions, to access the code, innovate it and improve the functionality of the software. Open source became popular only after the spread of internet, with many people from several regions getting a common point of access. It is a distributed process when compared to the centralized closed-source development. The open source