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This is in contrast to proprietary software, for which the software is under restrictive copyright and the source code is usually hidden from users. With free and open source software (FOSS) anyone is licensed to use, copy, study and change the software in any way and the source code is openly shared so people are encouraged to voluntarily improve the design of the software. The required software can be freely downloaded from the Internet, and periodic updates can be easily applied by simply downloading the latest version of the software. This practice makes updating the software and maintaining it very easy. Open source software is used in my company to the maximum extent possible, helping to streamline business processes. This is where open source software like LibreOffice, Apache OpenOffice, Scribus, GIMP, Inkscape, Firefox, Thunderbird, WordPress, VLC media player, etc, come in. Ideally, every business should aim to develop a system that automates maintenance to the maximum possible extent. All this creates a vicious cycle, where costs and delays keep mounting.
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This includes the fee to be paid to the computer technician to re-install the software. Not only do they have to pay for the software but they have to factor in the cost incurred every time the software becomes corrupt. This article highlights the LibreOffice suite.īusinesses that restrict themselves to proprietary software like Microsoft Office get a raw deal. The use of open source software promotes productivity by removing several bottlenecks like vendor lock-in, the unnecessary expense when using proprietary software, issues involved in the maintenance of the software, etc. Business and productivity are two sides of the same coin.
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