Pros & Cons

Pros & Cons

Open source software has several potential advantages and disadvantages. Businesses and governments are choosing open source to meet some needs.

Arguments about open source... The debate about open source includes some strong rhetoric and controversial issues. It also illustrates some critical issues about technology planning in general. Open source may have great value for schools, especially in total cost.

Results in business and government... After considering these pros and cons, some businesses are choosing open source. Companies like Amazon.com and Merrill Lynch have deployed large open source solutions and claimed significant TCO savings. Nations like Germany and China are also exploring open source. While businesses and governments have different needs and concerns, their decisions and experiences may have relevance to educators considering open source. Also, proponents cite these examples to illustrate the maturity of the open source model.

 

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Open Options is a product of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. These materials are in the public domain and may be reproduced without permission. The following acknowledgment is requested on materials which are reproduced: Developed by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, Portland, Oregon.

This Web site was developed and maintained by the Northwest Educational Technology Consortium. The federal funding for the regional technology consortia program ended on September 30, 2005, and no further updates are planned unless additional funding becomes available. However, much of the content is still useful and NWREL will continue to provide access to this site to support educators and to meet its own technical assistance needs.