Open Source
Certainly you have already heard of Open Source. But do you know that
- you can considerably save money also with your IT infrastructure by using Open Source solutions, as for example with web servers, application servers, data bases, directory servers or mail servers.
- you can realize an individual software for Internet and Intranet entirely with free tools.
- there are free content management systems for the management of your web pages, portal solutions or e-learning platforms which excel often high-priced commercial solutions in her functional complexity.
- there is an office package with OpenOffice.org which follows in the range of functions the Microsoft Office package, but free of charge is available?
At the moment a lot of enterprises or municipal institutions move there information technology partially or completly to Open Source solutions. Do you think of using Open Source in your company as well, but do not know what is sensibly for you?
Our offer for you:
Together with you we analyze your software and IT scenery and develop possible potentials by Open Source solutions.
You will receive from us free of charge and without obligation a written analysis in which areas the use of Open Source solutions is worthwhile for your enterprise and in which not. If you are interested in a such analysis, we ask you to get in contact with us.
A program which is expelled as an Open Source software
must fulfil several criteria. The essential ones are:
Availability of the sourcecode:
The software package must contain the source code or the
information where to get the source code free of charge.
Changes in the source code:
The source code may adjust to own needs and pass to other
in this changed form.
Free distribution:
Everybody may use and distribute Open Source software. A
detailed list of the requirements which are put in Open
Source software is available at
http://www.opensource.org/.
Many enterprises, in particular also smaller IT service
providers like the xanders GmbH, have themselves
specialized on this subject.
From these enterprises you receive to the different areas
of the Open Source software consultation, service and
support.
With a lot of Open to Source projects a decentralized net
of users and developers ensures the constant quality of
the software. Developer groups form and cooperate over the
borders away - worldwide, round-the-clock. The source code
of the programming is checked constantly, problems are
fast identified and errors are repaired immediately.
Beyond this, it is proved that the false functions of Open
Source software is at a very low level.
On Open Source software it is often worked from an
internationally staffed developer community. This leads to
the fact that the progress of such a software is not
dependent on a single person or enterprise decision. The
software can be developed, copied, optimized and used at
any time.
In comparison with that the manufacturers of properitary
software can discontinue at any time the development and
support of a software product. The manufacturer remains in
the possession of the copyright. Therefore, nobody has the
possibility to develop properitary software independently
and to adapt to changing requirements.
Money is often earned with the offer of services around
the software. So with consultation, installation and
introduction, individual adaptations of the software to
customer needs, trainings, services for software care and
system servicing.
Another possibility is the bundling of Open Source
software to a package and their distribution. Beyond it,
the rising number of users of Open Source software leads
to a boosted demand for manuals, documentations and
instructions.
No differences exist by the installation and care of free software to commercial software. The enterprise which installs free software is liable within the scope of the order. The circumference of the order should be fixed together with a specification. A guarantee is regulated for the selection of a suitable Open Source software, correct installation as well as for the operational safety and adaptations and extensions.
There are different Open Source-license models, you will
find the most important license models under
Open
Source licenses
. They belong to two most widespread
license models:
GNU General Public License (GPL)
The GPL guarantees the freedom for the users to transmit a
program consistently or modified. Nevertheless, this
license obliges to put derived software again under GPL.
It is permitted to earn money with the software GPL, for
instance, by offering suitable support or with the
duplication on data carrier. However, the bought software
itself may be often transmitted furthermore arbitrarily.
BSD License
This license requires merely that the license text
survives in the source and binary code and the original
developer is named in derived software and is acknowledged.
Own extensions must not be transmitted in contrast to GPL.
In the Internet there is numerous information to Open
Source to projects. Beyond it, there is with
sourceforge.net
and
freshmeat.net
two comprehensive lists which provide a
platform for developer of Open Source software.
In the Internet there is numerous information to the
subject Open Source. You can reach further information in
particular also under the following links
OSI
Open Source Initiative
Open Source
Development Lab
