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Why bother with open source software when Microsoft has the market
sewn up? The cost of GNU/Linux (it is freely available for no purchase
fee to whoever wants it) is not necessarily the primary issue! In
fact, the driving force has been the freedom to access the source code
and to use the software without limitation. But usability,
reliability, security, and developerability are often the most
important issues for many users.
GNU/Linux offers a value proposition that money can not buy! The
investment in GNU/Linux is really an investment in human beings
working to bring a better and coordinated solution to the
organisation. A solution that in the long run delivers more for less,
without the traditional tie-in of proprietary systems.
But what is wrong with proprietary systems? Look at Microsoft's power
from proprietary MS/Word documents - on 27 October 2005 (see
Reuters)
they threatened to remove MS/Word from South Korea because they did
not agree with its free trade investigations into their commercial
practises. This would have an adverse impact on government and
industry who have locked in to the proprietary format and potentially
would no longer have access to their own documents. Of course
Microsoft is keen to retain proprietary formats and its ability to
sway governments to suit its interests, rather than yours.
We begin here with a review of major decisions by governments and
organisations the world over to move to open standards and open
source, then review some of the key benefits of such an approach.
Subsections
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