- [Instructor] There are trade-offs you're making
by using open source software
over its commercial counterparts.
Let's talk about the advantages first.
Of course, the most obvious one is the fact that it's free,
but is it really free?
Isn't there any hidden costs?
We'll investigate this question more in depth
in the next lesson.
Another strength is its transparency,
which contributes to security.
Users have access to the source code
and know exactly what they are getting into.
Usually, there's a vibrant community of developers
supporting an open source of their product
who also keep an eye on security defects.
If there is a known bug, they know about it.
As a result, security vulnerabilities
don't linger too long.
Commercial software is like a black box.
Nobody knows what's in it
which introduces many uncertainties
and potential for design flaws and coding errors.
When it comes to disadvantages,
one of the biggest is support.
Yes, the driving open source community often exist
which is willing to support your product
but there is no guarantee.
Sometimes an open source project just disappears
due to various reasons
one of which could be the lack of funding or interest.
Therefore, sustainability is another enormous challenge.
If you need professional support for the solution
you're adopting, a better route could well be commercial.
Because of these pros and cons hybrid options are emerging.
Companies make their product open source,
but charge fees for customer support,
extra features and feature upgrades.
A good example is Snort that monetizes
intrusion detection rules.
Here, you can see the various subscription options
the company is providing.
You can even go for no support option
if you have your own IT team with the right expertise.
The nice thing about this trend is that the market
is evolving to benefit the users and consumers.
I have no problem with that.