Which key benefits does a free source code provide?
Imagine software as a transformer which converts a certain input to a certain output following definite algorithms (processing rules). If you had no source code for the software they would have been like a black box to you. You were able to check whether certain inputs have been transformed correctly to the expected outputs, but you never would have known if the processing rule works properly in 100% of all cases. With OSS that’s all different. There you could check for yourself if the processing rule is accurately verbalized because you have got an insight into the source code. That allows you to integrate the software into existing systems a lot easier or to customize it exactly according to your wishes. And finally you are able to administer the source code by yourself if necessary and to independently extend the software just in case the vendor of the software will vanish from the market some day.
Undoubtedly this requires that you or your IT department has the ability to understand and to modify the source code in this way. Otherwise the availability of the source code is of no use for you. However you could purchase the needed know-how from third parties to gain the advantages of free source code availability.
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