Position Paper on Open Source

Brief: What is open source? Is it free? What are the implications of using open-source software/technology? What is Flink Systems' position with regard to OSS.

Open source has become prominent in recent times. A common misconception is that Open Source Software (OSS) is the same as 'free' software. Many articles have been written to dispel this belief. As the name implies, the OSS is one where the code is available for public review. Usually, this means, the project/community writing the bulk of the code is open to accepting any bug-fixes/problems that have been discovered by other developers / user at large.

What drives the majority of OS community is their interest in programming, recognition, congruence with their ideals etc. So, when something is wrong with the code, the community usually takes it to heart and races to fix it.

There are many companies that provide the key resources/infrastructure to develop OSS. They benefit from the community feedback and make their money through services, addtional code that may be proprietary etc.

In contrast, Free Software is based more on ideals. The community believes that some (if not all) of the software is 'over-priced', 'not transparent enough' etc. The Free Software (FS) community aims at developing software that is free to use. As with OSS, one of the motivators is recognition. So, the most common thing that they expect in return for use of their code is proper attribution.

What is Flink Systems' position on OSS?
We believe in 'whatever is best for our partners'. This means, we explore the possibility of using open/free software in addition to proprietary options. Apart from cost, there are other things that we consider. For example:

1. Reliability / Track record
2. Current activity on the project or product
3. License issues
4. Complexity
5. Ease of use
6. Cost of developing the same functionality from scratch

Many software projects that satisfy most of the above criteria exist today. The most prominent among them is software developed under the Apache Software Foundation.

For more information please check out the following sites: OpenSource.org (What is open source?)
GNU.org (On one definition of 'free' software)
Wiki page on Free vs. Open Source (Community contribution of what is the difference)