What is Open Source and Why do We Believe In It?
The idea of open source was born out of the need for anyone to scrutinize, modify, enhance and innovate existing source codes to produce better results. The existence of proprietary software across the technology world has made it difficult for enthusiasts, up-and-coming developers, researchers and innovative programmers to do these without submitting to the expensive fees of these softwares – that is if the companies or organizations behind them would allow.
This restriction has create a revolutionary drive for different computer scientists and technology innovators around the world to build consortiums, collaborative teams, and organization that embrace the idea of open source technology starting with the free software movement and the foundation of the GNU Project.
Now, with open source model as an established environment, we are now free to use existing software that is distributed in different methods as a spring board for newer software. This is extremely true to web development and the open web technology is giving us an avenue to explore what we can do and create amazing and inspiring works of art.
Unlike proprietary web development software and technologies, it’s difficult to get access to the source code to modify and enhance what is already built. If ever there’s a chance to modify and enhance, this comes with a hefty price tag that defeats the purpose of building innovations based on customer environment and needs. There’s plenty of risks involved on a sustainability standpoint and these risks outweigh the benefits that it offers. Ultimately, proprietary software companies are inclined to monopolize their capabilities in order to control their market demographics and distribution of their technologies across users in the world.
Proprietary web development software and technologies offer extremely robust services, maintenance and support, and upgrades and back up. All of these for a price depending on the package or offering you choose from.
But, just like a pub offering you free beer – wouldn’t you grab it and enjoy its cold, refreshing taste?
Open source gives us the freedom to accommodate customer requirements and product differentiations. Which most of our competitors consider as a nuance, a least feasible business approach and unsustainable model. This is where we take advantage of open source’s capability to allow such freedom to build extension and create a potential work of art that truly works for our customers.
This advantage gives us a viable and open platform to create more usable and more open products, which gives us a more viable and attractive ecosystem. That being said, the core of our business is all about openness, flexibility and interoperability, which is a result of the daily things that we do.
The result to this is an amazing product that outperforms what most proprietary web development companies can produce and delivers the highest value to our customers.