The DoD and Open Source Software

When discussing Open Source Software, people often associate it with a few common characteristics. In many cases the software itself is hosted publicly by a sponsoring group or organization - often a not-for-profit organization. Open Source Software also brings to mind the varied community of people and organizations (commercial and/or non-commercial) that support discuss or maintain the software. But the most important thing to understand about Open Source Software is that it is a set of licensing terms and conditions, not the cost of the code itself. There is no escaping these terms and conditions. Major software vendors, those selling commercial products and those marketing themselves as Open Source vendors, are acutely aware of this reality.