Open source can be great for businesses, but understand the considerations.
Topics
- Why Open Source? - Advantages and considerations
- Where It Fits - When to use open source
- Risks & Responsibilities - What you're taking on
- VS Commercial - Comparison matrix
Key Concepts
- Free as in freedom: Users can use, modify, distribute
- Free as in beer: No cost (though many open source projects are both)
- Licensing: Different open source licenses have different implications
- Support: Usually community-based, sometimes professional
Considerations
Advantages: âś“ Often lower cost âś“ Flexibility âś“ No vendor lock-in âś“ Transparency
Risks: âś— Support may be limited âś— Requires technical capability âś— License compliance âś— Integration complexity
Open source is powerful. Use it wisely.