It is software that is freely distributed and where developers can read, redistribute, and modify the 'source code' - the language in which the programme is written. The principle of the open source movement is that software is developed, tested, and improved through public collaboration; it is distributed freely and shared with others, ensuring an open future collaboration.(A more detailed definition is available at the Open Source Initiative website: http://www.opensource.org).

The Balanced View

Much of the argument surrounding open source technology is pretty dogmatic: with open source enthusiasts and proprietary software vendors involved in an unconstructive mud slinging match that is both confusing and tedious for the onlookers.

The simple truth is that both open source and proprietary software have case specific strengths and weaknesses. All of EMC's technology implementations to date have incorporated a mixture of proprietary and open source software, capitalising on the relative advantages of both types of technology to produce the ideal solution.