Subject areaData and infrastructure
Also known asopen-source software
Open source describes software whose source code, the instructions written by programmers, is public: anyone can read, change and redistribute it under the terms of the licence that comes with it.
The best known licences are the GPL, which requires modified versions to stay open under the principle of copyleft, and other more permissive ones.
The emblem of the model is Linux, the operating system born in 1991 and developed by a worldwide community, which today runs most Internet servers and many connected devices. The value for a company is concrete: the code can be audited, it does not depend on a single vendor and it can be adapted to its own needs. The movement's collaborative, transparent spirit has also shaped digital culture and Creative Commons, which apply the same idea to content.
An example
A chemical company that builds its lab data analysis system on open source tools can have an outside consultant audit it line by line, and if the vendor shuts down it still owns the code.
Enrico Giubertoni. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0: you may quote, translate and adapt this entry with the author’s name and a link, stating any changes. For commercial use, write to info@enricogiubertoni.com
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