There has been a great deal of discussion of the benefits of open source for of late. There have been workshops, papers, speeches and even manifestos expounding on the virtues of the open source / connection. Amidst all of this, it may seem that open source is being presented as some sort of cure all.

Certainly, it is not. Yet, used with an understanding of its limitations and challenges, open source software does present some clear benefits to organizations:

Lower information technology costs:
Open source eliminates the need to pay for software licenses. Of course, this does not mean that you can eliminate information technology costs altogether – there is still a need for staff and equipment to make it all work.

But open source can definitely lower overall costs, especially for organizations which need advanced servers, databases and web applications.

Flexible software solutions:
The fact that the code is "open" means that software can be modified to respond to needs not addressed by the original developer.

The most obvious benefit of this responsiveness is the ability to translate software into local languages. However, it is also useful for web applications where it may be desirable to add on new features that accommodate the unique needs of organizations.

Better security:
Mature open source applications – Linux, Apache, SendMail, OpenOffice.org – tend to be more secure than their proprietary counterparts.

This is partly due to the fact that the code is open, allowing system administrators and others concerned with security to quickly identify problems and propose solutions to the lead software developers. Also, open source applications tend not to be targeted by people who make viruses.

This kind of improved security is vital for organizations who want keep unwanted "snoopers" out of their network and who cannot afford the downtime that comes with virus attacks.

Collaborative, cooperative values:
Open source is based on a set of collaborative and cooperative values. It assumes that we can create more useful tools by working together than we can by competing.

Using open source is not only a way to support these values, but it can also provide a way to learn from them. The open source community presents a very practical and adaptable example of how organizations can work collaboratively.