For all the hype regarding Open Source Software (OSS), we sometimes forget logic in the excitement of trying to get on board with this latest trend. What we really care about (or should care about) is making a sound business decision regarding software. Think everyone is hopping on the OSS bandwagon because the software doesn't cost anything? Think again. There's a lot more to making a business decision for OSS than just the up front cost. As the Open Source zealots like to say, "Free as in freedom, not as in beer."
So what's the big secret of OSS? It's the end of licensing restrictions that tell you how you can use your software. Tired of obtaining license keys from your software vendors every year or even every month just to keep your software running? Feel like your vendor is holding you hostage via your software licensing? With OSS, you never have to enter another annoying license code ever again. They just don't exist in the world of OSS. You don't even have to keep track of software's official license validity seals or the purchasing paperwork to prove ownership. Never more will you fear the BSA (Business Software Alliance, not the Boy Scouts!) knocking on your door wanting to perform a software audit.