2. OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE BY: SAMANTHA HERALD

4.  Otherwise known as OSS, is computer software that is available with source code: normally reserved for copyright holders are provided under an open-source license that permits users to study, change, improve and at times also to distribute the software.  Prime examples of open source products are the Apache HTTP Server, the e-commerce platform osCommerce, and the internet browser Mozilla Firefox. One of the most successful open source products is the GNU/Linux operating system, an open source Unix-like operating system, and its derivative Android, an operating system for mobile devices.

5.  From many places. The Sourceforge website hosts a wide variety of free and open source software. Each tool also usually has its own site, often created and maintained by volunteers who coordinate or moderate further development of the tool. Discussion boards and lists are also common, to enable people who want to modify software to communicate with people who may already have done it, or who may be able to help in some way.

6.  Software can be developed as a consulting project for one or more customers. The customers pay to direct the developers' efforts: to have bugs prioritized and fixed or features added. Companies or independent consultants can also charge for training, installation, technical support, or customization of the software.  Another approach to funding is to provide the software freely, but sell licenses to proprietary add- on’s such as data libraries. For instance, an open-source CAD program may require parts libraries which are sold on a subscription or flat-fee basis. Open-source software can also promote the sale of specialized hardware that it interoperates with, as in the case of the Asterisk telephony software, developed by a manufacturer of PC telephony hardware.  Many open-source software projects have begun as research projects within universities, as personal projects of students or professors, or as tools to aid scientific research. The influence of universities and research institutions on open source shows in the number of projects named after their host institutions, such as BSD Unix, CMU Common Lisp, or the NCSA HTTPd which evolved into Apache.

7. ADVANTAGES  No cost or a lower cost for licensing "open source" solutions  Flexibility to adapt the software for particular health care solutions  Continuing software enhancements available through the open source community  "Mission" rather than "market" objectives focused on patient-centered, population-based health improvement  Open architecture allows for greater opportunities for health information exchange  Ability to incorporate tools for personal health, such as personal health records DISADVANTAGES  Often no single source to support all aspects of the application; multiple sources of technical and clinical support may be required  Must understand business logic to adjust configuration or make code adjustments to meet unique work flow and clinical needs  User assumes more "ownership" of the solution than under proprietary licenses, including initiation of upgrades, enhancements, configuration and support of software  Difficult to engage support of vendors with practical experience in supporting the application; often they have retired or left the agency

8. OPEN-SOURCE OPERATING SYSTEMS o There are several open-source operating systems, most of which appear to be clones of Unix. o Examples include: o FreeBSD o Linux o Minix o Android OFFICE PRODUCTIVITY PACKAGES o Word o Excel o Power Point o Outlook o OneNote o Access

9. WORKS CITED