Yonder Technologies

 

Open Source Makes Sense

Two things initially drove me to Open Source operating systems and applications - necessity and curiosity.

When the downturn of the economy hit my employer and the Information Technology department could no longer get funding to purchase upgrades and support new projects, I needed to figure out how to support my business in the least expensive way without giving up on quality.

When I first got involved with technology, it was fun. There was a big community of interesting and intelligent programmers and systems builders and people who wanted to expand their knowledge and share their experiences.

Community and Collaboration

As technology became big business, I thought much of that was lost.  Then I discovered that there was a dedicated core of enthusiasts still out there.  What they were into now was gathering steam under a new buzz phrase - Open Source.  But it was built from that same community of people dedicated to solving challenges in an efficient, cost-effective way, by freely sharing knowledge and exchanging code.

When people ask me how anything that is free could be good, and why people would work that hard to provide excellent products that cost little or nothing to the end user, I try to explain about the sharing of knowledge and the pride of accomplishment.

Companies that support Open Source do so with fees earned from consulting, support and training.  Even there I've found an economic bonus.  The cost of Open Source maintenance and support is almost always less expensive - upgrades are free, support can be purchased as needed without the necessity of costly maintenance contracts.

 Most of us really want to help people get off the big commercial bandwagon and do so by providing a better way. 

We do it because we believe in it.