open source, what's the benefit?

Question

how companies can benefit from open source?

Answer 1

FOSS* software has a major benefit from the amount of hackers examining the project and clearing out bugs, exploits and just generally adding features.
FOSS* generally has a much, much faster development and release cycles then proprietary software; since more people are working on it, you get software that is more efficient and up to date with the worlds current technologies.
Companies can really benefit from the stability and flexibility it provides, since everything they need is at the finger tips for any group of programmers.
The essay 'The Cathedral and the Bazaar' is a great source of information relating to the question asked.

Answer 2

One obvious benefit is that, it's free software!

Another benefit is that the source code of the software is available, so the company, if it wishes, may hire programmers to write modifications to the software to adapt it to the company's special needs.


Another benefit of open source is the support you get from open discussions from fellow users of the software. Try getting support from Microsoft! You'll pay $$$ per call! Same for Norton! Not to mention all the phone menus! Go logon to a simple support forum for any open source stuff. I've found a wealth of knowledge. Most likely, you'll find your question already answered! But if not, ask away,and you'll find some guru most happy to help with your problem!