Open-source: What is it and where is it going?

Patrick Hayes

Imagine a world where millions of people get paid to give their work away for free. This sounds crazy, but it’s real, it’s called Open Source, and it’s how the majority of corporate software budgets are being spent in 2010. Open Source is a buzzword that many are familiar with, but what does it really mean? Why are people so excited by it? And how can businesses possibly make money when they are giving it all away? We will explore what Open-Source is as well as its relationship with the Open-Standards, Open-Data and free-software movements. Gazing into the future, we will use our crystal ball to look at where the open-source movement is going, and the impacts it will have on the way we work, play, and live.