Open source software (OSS) is freely available for download and modification provided that the terms of the license agreement are followed. Increasingly, organizations are recognizing that OSS is a viable alternative to costly desktop applications, enterprise solutions, and even custom off-the-shelf software. But the decision to use OSS is not always an easy one as questions of quality, security, licensing, standards compliance and more need to be addressed. These readings will help identify these issues more clearly and assist readers in drawing their own conclusions about the viability of OSS in various situations.

The first article, "Achieving Quality in Open-Source Software," sets the stage by establishing the value proposition for open source software and shows how, using best practices, many open source communities can achieve a level of code quality that is equal or higher to that in commercial (closed source) settings.

An important issue to be considered when adopting open source software in the workplace is licensing issues. There are many different kinds of open source licenses with very different legal implications and it is important that all the nuances of such licenses be understood before any adoption decision is made. Ueda's article, "Licenses of Open Source Software and their Economic Values," is helpful in understanding some of these licensing issues as well as the economic implications of using open source software in the enterprise.

OSS can be used in several ways in the workplaceýon the desktop, in the enterprise, and to provide a toolset for the development of proprietary software. The last three articles explore these issues. In "Replacing Proprietary Software on the Desktop," Hardaway explores the use of OSS on the desktop. In "Open Source Software: Is It Worth Converting?" the authors show how OSS can be used to transform antiquated legacy systems into a modern architectural form. Finally, Ruffin and Ebert explore the issues surrounding the use of OSS in producing production grade proprietary software in their article "Using Open Source Software in Product Development: A Primer."

Phillip Laplante is professor of software engineering at The Pennsylvania State University. His research interests are in software project management, the role of the CIO, and open source software systems. He received his BS, M.Eng., and PhD from Stevens Institute of Technology and an MBA from the University of Colorado.