The assumption that open source and Linux are responsible for an economic bonanza for those companies that have embraced them is questionable. One must ponder the possibility that HP would have sold $2.5 billion in hardware, proprietary software and services attributed as “Linux-based” with an alternative operating system if Linux and the open source concept did not exist because HP’s customers would have required those goods and services regardless of the existence of open source and Linux.

Would IBM give up its quest to dominate the hardware and services market if open source and Linux had never come along? Would Oracle throw in the towel and stop selling it’s database for proprietary operating systems? Would Amazon.com close it’s virtual doors?

While you may not find many lines of Linux code in the proprietary products of these and hundreds of other leading software companies who make and sell proprietary software that runs on Linux and other operating systems, you will undoubtedly find developers and software products that have benefited either directly or indirectly from the buoyant properties of the open source community and its shared intellectual library of solutions to common software development challenges.

That the application software development market has benefited remarkably from open source is certain. An of understanding the underpinnings of the operating system along with source code available for review levels the playing field and perhaps leads vendors of proprietary operating systems who also compete in the applications market to think twice before taking unfair advantage of inside knowledge.

That said, the benefits and market opportunities provided by open source cannot come close in comparison that of open standards. With open standards the software development market has moved forward. Protocols and standards such as TCP, HTTP, XML and many more have made it possible for developers and software vendors both large and small to participate in what has globally been without a doubt the fastest technological progression of the humanity in the history of the world.

The assumption that open source and Linux are responsible for an economic bonanza for those companies that have embraced them is questionable. One must ponder the possibility that HP would have sold $2.5 billion in hardware, proprietary software and services attributed as “Linux-based” with an alternative operating system if Linux and the open source concept did not exist because HP’s customers would have required those goods and services regardless of the existence of open source and Linux.

Would IBM give up its quest to dominate the hardware and services market if open source and Linux had never come along? Would Oracle throw in the towel and stop selling it’s database for proprietary operating systems? Would Amazon.com close it’s virtual doors?

While you may not find many lines of Linux code in the proprietary products of these and hundreds of other leading software companies who make and sell proprietary software that runs on Linux and other operating systems, you will undoubtedly find developers and software products that have benefited either directly or indirectly from the buoyant properties of the open source community and its shared intellectual library of solutions to common software development challenges.

That the application software development market has benefited remarkably from open source is certain. An of understanding the underpinnings of the operating system along with source code available for review levels the playing field and perhaps leads vendors of proprietary operating systems who also compete in the applications market to think twice before taking unfair advantage of inside knowledge.

That said, the benefits and market opportunities provided by open source cannot come close in comparison that of open standards. With open standards the software development market has moved forward. Protocols and standards such as TCP, HTTP, XML and many more have made it possible for developers and software vendors both large and small to participate in what has globally been without a doubt the fastest technological progression of the humanity in the history of the world.

The assumption that open source and Linux are responsible for an economic bonanza for those companies that have embraced them is questionable. One must ponder the possibility that HP would have sold $2.5 billion in hardware, proprietary software and services attributed as “Linux-based” with an alternative operating system if Linux and the open source concept did not exist because HP’s customers would have required those goods and services regardless of the existence of open source and Linux.

Would IBM give up its quest to dominate the hardware and services market if open source and Linux had never come along? Would Oracle throw in the towel and stop selling it’s database for proprietary operating systems? Would Amazon.com close it’s virtual doors?

While you may not find many lines of Linux code in the proprietary products of these and hundreds of other leading software companies who make and sell proprietary software that runs on Linux and other operating systems, you will undoubtedly find developers and software products that have benefited either directly or indirectly from the buoyant properties of the open source community and its shared intellectual library of solutions to common software development challenges.

That the application software development market has benefited remarkably from open source is certain. An of understanding the underpinnings of the operating system along with source code available for review levels the playing field and perhaps leads vendors of proprietary operating systems who also compete in the applications market to think twice before taking unfair advantage of inside knowledge.

That said, the benefits and market opportunities provided by open source cannot come close in comparison that of open standards. With open standards the software development market has moved forward. Protocols and standards such as TCP, HTTP, XML and many more have made it possible for developers and software vendors both large and small to participate in what has globally been without a doubt the fastest technological progression of the humanity in the history of the world.