Nowadays, most of the software used in companies is bought from huge companies like Microsoft, SAP or oracle. But why? Free software alternatives can often be better and here’s why.
There are many inherent flaws with proprietary software. Firstly, only a small group of developers is allowed to fix bugs and push new updates. As a result, if any issues or security flaws are uncovered, it can take days or even weeks for them to be fixed. With popular open-source software, updates happen overnight.
Another issue is how limiting paid software is. The only interface with it is the GUI provided by the developers. It’s capabilities are oftentimes limited just because users can’t access all the features.
Speaking of features, theres A LOT of them. Too many in fact. This happens because proprietors are trying to appeal to as many potential buyers as possible. This ends up being a bundle of mediocre features that barely work together. It’s inefficient, bloated, wastes a ton of resources. Employers are forced to purchase the entire package for their employees, even if they don’t need all of the features. Using free software can enable companies to cut costs dramatically. Not only does it remove the fee for the software itself(which is great for small business trying to be as lean as possible), but also thanks to its efficiency, server hosting fees can be reduced as well.
Most organizations don’t care, but closed-source software or services also pose a huge privacy/security threat. Who knows if MS Teams isn’t ripping all of your chats, or Digital Ocean doesn’t just casually browse through your data. Hell, the US government even tried to make Linus Torvalds include a backdoor in the Linux kernel
The last major flaw commercial software has, is that it’s developed more with the proprietor in mind, rather than the end user. This is clearly visible with the loads of preinstalled programs, telemetry protocols and ads present in those systems.
This doesn’t mean freeware doesn’t have it’s flaws. The major one that’s a dealbreaker for most groups is that it’s initially more inconvenient. It has to be properly adjusted and setup to fit the users needs. Workers also need training to make the switch.
Most tech savvy people though, believe that FOSS is the future of computing. I believe it’s a wiser choice(especially in the long run) to pay someone to setup all the tools you need(and there’s a ton of alternatives out there), than to keep paying recurring fees or to risk your data being stolen.