Open Source Software is the practice of distributing software in a format which allows it to be modified. This ensures that you can not only use it as its creators foresaw, but that you also have it adapted and expanded to better meet your requirements.

One aspect of this philosophy is that the software's creators usually do not charge for its distribution, however too much focus on this point can detract from more significant advantages. The 'box' price of most software is insignificant compared to the cost of the time you invest in using it. Open source's true strength is as a third way between the expense of a completely custom solution and the inefficiency of using software which hasn't been designed for you.

Here are some similar views from our (slightly larger) competition IBM, Oracle, and Microsoft. High profile success stories may be Google, Facebook and Twitter, but in fact all websites use open source directly or indirectly.

You may want to look at our examples for some ideas of how it may benefit you.