A Business Case Study about Open Source Software
Abstract: This paper was prepared as part of The MITRE Corporation’s FY00 Mission-Oriented Investigation and Experimentation (MOIE) research project “Open Source Software in Military Systems.” This paper analyzes the business case of open source software. It is intended to help Program Managers evaluate whether open source software and development methodologies are applicable to their technology programs. In the Executive Summary, the paper explains open source, describes its significance, compares open source to traditional commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products, presents the military business case, shows the applicability of Linux to the military business case, analyzes the use of Linux, discusses anomalies, and provides considerations for military Program Managers. The paper also provides a history of Unix and Linux, presents a business case model, and analyzes the commercial business case of Linux.
Executive Summary: Open source, by definition, means that the source code is available. Open source software (OSS) is software with its source code available that may be used, copied, and distributed with or without modifications, and that may be offered either with or without a fee. If the end-user makes any alterations to the software, he can either choose to keep those changes private or return them to the community so that they can potentially be added to future releases1. An open source license is certified by the Open Source Initiative (OSI), an unincorporated nonprofit research and educational association with the mission to own and defend the open source trademark and advance the cause of OSS. The open source community consists of individuals or groups of individuals who contribute to a particular open source product or technology. The open source process refers to the approach for developing and maintaining open source products and technologies. Keep reading…








