There are numerous myths out there about Open Source software which continue to spread despite lack of evidence. Here, we debunk five more of the most common.

1. Five more
common
myths around
Open Source
adoption

2. Five more
common myths
around Open
Source adoption
There are numerous myths out there
about Open Source software which
continue to spread despite lack of
evidence. Here, we debunk five
more of the most common:

3. 1. There is no commercial
support out there for Open
Source software.

4. 1. There is no commercial
support out there for Open
Source software.
Several leading IT
consultancies offer a range
of support options for
Open Source systems and
software (including the
Systems Management
specialist LinuxIT, we
hasten to add!)

5. 2. It’s all about GNU/Linux vs
MS Windows as another
challenge to Microsoft.

6. 2. It’s all about GNU/Linux vs
MS Windows as another
challenge to Microsoft.
The bottom line in the world of
IT is that you want something
that just works - and keeps on
working without any fuss or
hassle. This is what Open Source
software is all about. It’s the hard
working engine that keeps you
on the go - either in your office
or on mobile devices.

7. More recently, distributions
of GNU/Linux such as Ubuntu Linux
and Linux Mint 12 have made GNU/
Linux much more popular on the
desktop. With its endless choice of
configurable desktops, GNU/Linux
has made itself popular with both
informed and less educated computer
users alike. Open Source doesn’t
just appeal to anti-commercial
types; it’s popular with
anyone who wants the
best software.

8. 3. Open Source software is of a
lower quality than proprietary
software.

9. 3. Open Source software is of a
lower quality than proprietary
software.
One of the outstanding features of Open Source software
is that it is inherently reliable; because many hands and
eyes have worked on the code.

10. 3. Open Source software is of a
lower quality than proprietary
software.
One of the outstanding features of Open Source software
is that it is inherently reliable; because many hands and
eyes have worked on the code.
You can do anything with Open Source office suites that
you can do with proprietary office suites. Don’t believe
us? Try using Google Docs and discover how much easier
it makes your life.
We’re sure you’ve heard that the Higgs boson particle could not
have been discovered without GNU/Linux; it’s used at both CERN and
Fermilab. If it’s good enough for the finest scientists in the world...

11. 4. There is
no money to
be made on
Open Source
software.

12. 4. There is
no money to
be made on
Open Source
software.

13. 5. Open Source is trying to
catch up with Microsoft and
the commercial world.

14. 5. Open Source is trying to
catch up with Microsoft and
the commercial world.
Actually, it’s the other way around.
The Open Source web server is
way ahead of current proprietary
offerings. The internet could not
have come into being if it had
relied upon proprietary software
licences. On the desktop, many
GNU/Linux users have noticed
that MS Windows 7 and 8 looks
mysteriously like their own
desktop...

15. Mark Shuttleworth,
the founder of Canonical Ltd,
has done a lot towards improving
the penetration of Open Source into
the commercial market; in fact, Dell
now sells laptops with Ubuntu Linux
preloaded. Using Ubuntu Linux, you
can install a Samba server and share
your company’s documents across large
or small networks. You can also run
virtualization applications on such
a server, allowing you to run and
use any operating system or
application over the
network.

16. At a recent Gartner Open Source event in Barcelona, one of
the speakers memorably said: “If you haven’t got Open
Source in your business you haven’t got a business”.
The time is ripe for your business to transfer to Open
Source systems and software - what are you waiting for?
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