"Open Source" refers to software that is freely distributed over the Internet for programmers to read, use, modify, and re-distribute. Examples of open source technology include the Linux operating system, the Apache Web Server, and various database engines & scripting languages. YVOD believes in using Open Source technology for clients, wherever possible. While we have expertise in many off-the-shelf programs, there are many benefits to building from Open Source code.

Open Source technology benefits:

• Reduced cost of hardware
• Reduced cost of software
• Reduced cost of maintaining software
• Very high performance
• Extremely stable and reliable
• Scale up without migrating to new platforms
• Greater range of flexibility and feature upgrades

Why is open source technology superior to proprietary packages in these areas? First consider the proprietary world of Microsoft and Sun, where problems are reported to marketing or customer service personnel and not directed to the programmers. The proprietary vendor first has to admit there is a problem. If the problem is generating enough buzz, they will instruct their programmers to develop a temporary patch. More often they will wait to fix a slew of problems together with their next rev of software (5.01, 5.02, 5.02.1, etc). If it is an important feature that you require, you may find it eventually in the next major release (6.0.1) - but the vendor will charge for the upgrade. And there is no guarantee that your problem will ever be addressed.

The Internet is shaking up every industry, especially software development. Open Source was born in the earliest days of the Internet, when the technology became available to gifted programmers worldwide. It has snowballed into a virtual team of tens of thousands who are continuously collaborating to improve performance and stability, and to add new features and capabilities to Open Source code. These improvements take place at a speed that is astonishing compared to pace of traditional software development. Any problems are reported directly to the programmers who created the code, and whose primary goal is to maintain the quality of that code. The end result is the highest-caliber set of software tools in the world today. YVOD is then able to utilize these tools to provide the ultimate in robustness, scaleability, and functionality.

The broader market is just beginning to realize the benefits of Open Source but it is no secret to web programmers. Over 65% of all Internet sites are served using Open Source technology. Yahoo, for example, was built from the ground up on an Open Source platform. In fact, Linux has become mainstream as IBM, Compaq, and others offer it in place of proprietary operating systems from Microsoft and Sun. The benefits to Open Source are clear and the trend is unstoppable. So while YVOD can dovetail into or develop within proprietary systems, our philosophy is to migrate our clients into the Open Source platforms wherever possible.