The term “open-source”
originated in the context of software development and refers to something that
is publicly accessible and users like programmers or website developers can
modify and share it.
In this regard, open-source
software (OSS) is a type of software that is available for use, modification,
and distribution and any developer can have access to its source code. In other
words, developers can view the code, enhance the software’s performance, add
features, or fix its errors.
The
importance of open-source software
Businesses are constantly trying
to speed up their digitalization process and find the best digital solutions to
help them run more efficiently and lower their costs.
Open-source software has
definitely changed the game and made creating the website for business and
improving the website design much easier. Business’ use of open-source software
is increasing every day and in fact, 80% of IT departments plan to increase
their use of OSS over the next 12 months.
OSS helps organizations and
website developers to create the best website for business. For example, to
make the website visually appealing, user
friendly and easy-to-use, a website creator can use an open-source web
design software and its useful features.
Benefits
of OSS
These days, there are hardly
any modern business that choose to shy away from open-source technology and its
benefits. However, it is worth mentioning that open-source software definitely has
many benefits for businesses but it sure has some flawless.
However, the benefits of
open source are tremendous which is why it has definitely gained huge
popularity in the field of IT and among website developers in recent years.
🈁 Related: The Pros and Cons of Open Source Software Development
Cost
effective
Software is rarely
affordable. The user has to pay the monthly licensing fee and other additional
costs such as virus protection, support charges or upgrade expenses.
An OSS is generally free to
use and users don’t have to pay for the it. In other words, users can install
it free without the need to pay upfront expenses which is good news for website
creators and companies that want to build their website for business.
Transparency
With OSS, the source code is
open and available which makes it possible to understand exactly how it works.
Therefore, you can be sure that there are no undesired, hidden functions built
in the software. In addition, the open-source code means that you can adapt
programs flexibly to your own needs.
Availability
Once the source code has
been published, organizations, programmers or website developers can use the
OSS freely and indefinitely. And even if the licensing terms change, the last
published version would still be available for use.
Stability and
sustainability
OSS exists independently of
a single manufacturer and is always developing, growing and improving.
Open-source support is easily accessible through online communities and also
most organizations that create open-source software solutions also provide support
and maintenance services for users.
Also, many users prefer
open-source software to proprietary software for important, long-term projects
because they can be sure their tools won't disappear in the future. In addition,
an OSS tends to both incorporate and operate according to open standards.
Security
Although some might be
concerned about the security of OSS, it is actually extremely secure. This is
because there are multiple independent developers who are continuously contributing
to OSS projects and they can always recognize suspicious behavior.
Due to crowdsourcing, different
developers constantly review the code, close gaps in security, and make new
improvements. Therefore, unlike closed software, bugs are detected in early
stages and get solved before causing any serious harm.
Flexibility
and agility
When users purchase a
proprietary and not being open source software like Microsoft’s Windows, they’re
forced to accept the predefined terms and conditions which determine and restrict
the ways they can utilize the product.
However, open-source
software is flexible and users can modify it based on their specific needs. OSS
also enables technology agility by offering multiple ways to solve problems and
allowing IT team or website developers to create the particular capability that
isn’t available from a specific vendor.
The era of digitalization
has increased the used of OSS. You can hardly find a programmer of website
creator who is not aware of the benefits that come from using Open-Source
Software.
Let’s review top open-source
software examples of 2021 and their features.
Mozilla
Firefox
Mozilla Firefox, a
customizable web browser just like google Chrome, is one of the most successful
open-source projects on a global level which was released in 2002. This browser
has a simple user interface and an intelligent address bar and offers thousands
of plugins.
Some of the most important
features of Mozilla Firefox include:
Phishing and malware
protection
Automatic detection
of outdated plugins
Automatic
continuation of interrupted downloads
Fast graphics acceleration
for videos and images
Provision of tabbed
browsing
Available for
Android, iOS, Windows and Linux
LibreOffice
LibreOffice is a complete
office suite equipped with programs for word processing, creating spreadsheets,
slideshows, diagrams, etc. which is considered an alternative for Microsoft
Office 365.
Users can make donations
when they download this software. Recently, a QR code generator tool was added
to this software, so that it’s possible to create mobile-friendly links.
Other features of LibreOffice
include:
Available for Windows,
macOS and Linux
Available in
approximately 115 languages
Ability to preserve
Microsoft file formats better
Allowing the user to save
all the documents as Open Document Format (ODF)
Ruby on Rails
This popular open-source
software is built with the Ruby programming language and gives website
developers a framework to build the code. Ruby on Rails is considered a
revolution in the programming world and is being used by many famous companies
such as Shopify, Twitch, Instacart, and SoundCloud.
Most important features of this OSS are:
Primarily based on
the MVC architecture
- Active Record, a database
access library, to make the data handling process much more easier
- An extensive library
of AJAX
- In-depth error logs for
debugging applications
VLC
Media Player
VLC Media Player is one of
the most popular open-source software created by the VideoLAN project and has
dominated the industry for several years. This media player is mainly used to
play audio and video and by that users can play audio and video of any format.
runs on Windows,
macOS, Linux, Android and iOS
constantly upgrades
with new and features
supports 360-degree
video for VR headsets
can stream to other
devices
allows adding
subtitles from third-party sources
Linux
Linux is one of the most
known Open-Source Software Examples and is a free, open-source operating system.
It is considered the largest OSS in the world and is mostly used on Android
devices and desktops.
LINUX is incredibly
customizable which makes it a very useful tool for a website creator and
companies trying to build a website for business.
Linux uses completely
different base code from more popular Windows and OS X systems which makes it
less of a target for hackers.
Besides being highly secure
and offering excellent community support, Linux:
Can operate on
different types of hardware
Allows multiple users
to access system resources at the same time
Allows multiple
applications to run simultaneously
can run on Windows
applications
Python
Python is a programming and
scripting language which is an excellent OSS for a developer or website
creator. It is very easy to use and since it offers extensive standard
libraries, it’s often considered the battery-included language.
Today, Python is a
widely-used programming language used by most industries because it allows
programming in Object-Oriented and Procedural paradigms.
In addition, Python:
is the preferred
language of many big companies such as Google, Amazon, Facebook, Instagram and
Dropbox
is very easy to code
allows programming in
Object-Oriented and Procedural paradigms
PHP
The last Open-Source
Software Example in our list is PHP. When talking about the best open-source
software of 2021, PHP cannot be ignored. PHP is a scripting language used by
website developers mainly for the purpose of web development and website design.
This language is great for
managing dynamic content, session tracking, and creating website for business
and other digital platforms.
PHP has many great features
like:
- being fast and
flexible
- supporting various
protocols like POP3, IMAP, and LDAP
- the ability to run Facebook
which is the largest social network
Conclusion
It’s amazing how businesses
all around the world have recognized the importance of digitalization and the
necessity of having a website for business. They are now constantly searching
for digital solutions to run their business more efficiently and gain more
profit.
In this regard, open-source
software has become critical for almost every organization since it can be a
great help in every field, including website design, telecommunication systems,
inventory, accounting, contact management and operating systems amongst others.
The popularity of OSS has been
steadily growing over the years and it has transformed from the favored tool of
programmers to the default choice for website creators and IT departments in small
and large organizations.
There are many Open-Source
Software Examples that allow the users to access the code and modify it to
create new extensions, patches, or solutions.