Open source/Free software an option

Abstract

The use of a computing platform licensed under the GNU/GPL offers the potential to save significant amounts in license fees. Not only should be seen as a saving but also as a way toward technological independence. To facilitate the transition from an operating system that has dominated global markets into a platform Open Source/Free Software is currently available versions of a wide variety of distribution, in which the user is taken as the end user and not necessarily as a software developer. This paper presents a reflection on the advantages from the point of view of technological independence, the use of an open source platform. Not a tutorial on how to install a new operating system, rather it highlights some evidence to suggest how this could be a pathway to technological independence.