Open Source
Breaking Through the Hype
By Jim Jagielski
There is no denying the impact of open-source (OS) software on the high-tech industry. E-business as we know it wouldn't have been possible without the various open-source technologies and applications that form the Internet's core infrastructure. If you ask most professionals why they choose to use Apache, Perl, or Linux, chances are you'll hear a number of reasons, including price (they're free), community support, and adherence to standards. It's likely that you'll also hear about some of the more intangible principles behind the Open Source Initiative, like how OS projects aren't developed for proprietary gains and how OS is the underdog in a fight against corporate monopolies. As someone with deep roots in the open-source community, I certainly agree with these reasons, abstract as they may be. But abstractions in general are less than satisfying. CTOs and other key professionals don't (or shouldn't) make decisions based on either the underdog argument or the price alone.
The real question to ask then is how do certain open-source packages fare against their commercial and proprietary counterparts? Let's look at a few open-source products from a viability standpoint and see how they compare with their competitors. (For a list of URL resources, go to "
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Web Servers
According to the latest Netcraft surveys, over 60 percent of all Web pages are delivered from Apache Web servers.
