Open Source Software Technology Management Issues

Open source software is any software program distributed under a license agreement that stipulates that the source code be made available for use or installation either free or for a fee. The licensing and business models for open source are very different than for proprietary software programs and this presents challenges to open source software companies as well as enterprises that may adopt open source software. This paper briefly describes the history of open source, some open source applications, the technology management issues, presents business models, attempts to dispel open source misconceptions, and provides a SWOT analysis with conclusions and recommendations