Why, then, is Open Source software maligned by proprietary software corporations?
First, Open Source software represents a credible threat to their business infrastructure. If the Apache web server holds 64% of the web server installations on the internet, how can Microsoft or Sun Microsystems market their own web servers? And, why should corporations pay for a web server that does not have the stability and security of the industry standard Apache? Second, the business model of Open Source software does not make sense to most private corporations. How can random groups of people, working for free, create mission critical applications that compete with high-dollar proprietary software? Open Source developers have shown that it’s not only possible, but some private corporations are finding that the Open Source business model is actually very lucrative. Finally, the idea of Open Source removes competition. If everyone has access to the source code of an application, there is no way to hinder other developers from using that code in their own products. Hence, the proce
