Amitabh Sharma
Features Coordinator

Open Source is a community initiative which is fast growing, gaining popularity by the day and also taking how we see, listen and 'feel' the virtual world to a different level and experience. The Internet is proving to be a viable platform for training and resource material.

What is Open Source?
"Open source is at the forefront of the worldwide IT initiative, which allows anyone to use a common convention in developing any technology or platform," explained Ian Bailey-Harris, director - sales New Horizons Computer Learning Centers in Kingston.

Simply put, Open Source can be used by anyone, without paying fee for usage.

What can Open Source do?
Open source applications and programmes provides the end user, individuals and companies alike, free of cost or with a very little fee, if someone chooses to charge. As costs are cut, money is saved.

"This can help companies to rationalise their budgets as far as training is concerned," said Bailey-Harris, whose company provides IT training. A step further, he said, governments in developing economies can use the money that they spend on Information Technology towards social programmes and development.

Bailey-Harris explained that Open Source allows an individual or small company to compete or contribute to a worldwide IT initiative. "It loosens the control that large corporate bodies have on the advance of technology and places it back in the hands of the people," he said.

Benefits
Since Open Source does not have any restrictions, anyone can feel free to add, modify or create programmes, concepts or features. "Anybody anytime can develop software, hardware, concepts, without corporate restriction relying only on their own creativity," Bailey-Harris said.

Open Source has reversed the trend of industry and corporations driving the market. "It is now the market driving the industry," he said.

For the individuals, Open Source could be a medium to test their capability and what they have to offer. Anyone can build an application and release it to the users. "If you have a good product or concepts, you can market it well and use it to your benefit," Bailey-Harris said.

Drawbacks
Open Source is still in nascent stages but evolving and growing, there are no set parameters to measure the success of this medium.

"The reason why it works is the reason why it can fail," Bailey-Harris said.

"First there is no final authority or control over what is being developed or put out," he said. Since this is the case, the programmes or applications can be confusing or disorganised.

But, Bailey-Harris said, it is evolving.

"There are both good and bad to Open Source, but I believe there is more good than bad," he said.

Viable option
Learning Open Source is cost efficient as the proficiency is not dependant on achieving certification but on excellence of ability. "One simply needs to learn the convention and become good at it," the IT sales executive suggested. "Anyone who is currently in Information Technology should invest their time in upgrading their skill sets."

amitabh.sharma@gleanerjm.com



Some Open Source Applications

Firefox: Evolving as the preferred web browser. This browser is secure and works on Linux, Windows and Macintosh operating systems.

OpenOffice is available to everyone using a Windows or Linux operating system. Next time you need to write a document, work on a spread sheet or make a presentation or make a slide show, OpenOffice could be the answer.

The Gimp is the open alternative to Adobe Photoshop, it packs almost the same features and can work on Windows, Linux, or Macintosh operating system