Is open source software free?
Most open source software is available for free download on the Web. However there are also many private companies that offer value-added versions of open source software. These “for pay” versions may include support plans, additional features, or add-ons that can be purchased one piece at a time. Other “for pay” services or products can be built on open source platforms. If a fee is required, it should be quite clear at the point of download.
Another aspect of the question concerns total cost of ownership (TCO). There is not a lot of clear information yet from the education sector, but some studies are finding the upfront costs are less. However, TCO may shift costs to other areas. Any school technologist knows that new software requires additional expense in time and money for training and support. There may be a steep learning curve for the tech support group as they install their first open source operating system and configure it to work smoothly on the network. It is worth a little research to see how complete the documentation is and what support is available.
Finally, for developers who are improving the open source code base itself, there is an obligation to contribute the code improvements back to the community code base so that all users can benefit. Each open source project has a managing body that evaluates new additions and refinements and decides whether new code should be accepted. This is a vital part of the open source development model.
