Open source software can be defined as software distributed under a licensing
agreement which allows the source code (computer code) to be shared,
viewed and modified by other users and organisations.Closed source software can be defined as proprietary software distributed under a licensing agreement to authorized users with private modification,
copying and republishing restrictions.Open source software is free. This is a huge draw card, and if your in-house
capabilities are such that you are able to implement, train and support at little
cost to your organization it may be an attractive option but The cost of proprietary software will vary from a few thousand to a few hundred thousand dollars, depending on the complexity of the system required. This cost is made up of a base fee for software, integration and services and annual licensing/support fees.Open source software is often viewed as having security issues. New data from Forrester Research has shown that 58% of IT Executives and technology decision makers in large companies are concerned about the security of open source software. On the other hand Proprietary software is viewed as more secure because it is developed in a controlled environment by a concentrated team with a common direction. Moreover, the source code may be viewed and edited by this team alone, and is heavily audited, eliminating the risk of back door Trojans and reducing the
risk of any bugs or issues with the software.
At last i just want to say that When deciding between open source or closed source (proprietary) software, it is critical to first consider the organization’s business internal (resources and capabilities) and external (stable or evolving) environment, and the level ofrisk the organization is willing to take. The aforementioned issues can then be used as a guide to make an informed decision between the two.