Open Opportunity

The Linux Foundation reported that the value of it's open source projects exceed $5 billion dollars. IBM (International Business Machines) reported that the market for Linux servers, applications, software and operating systems surpassed $57 billion in 2014. The market has almost doubled over the past five years.

Many will be shocked to find that the statements above are about software that they have ownership rights to. They will find it incredible to believe that they have full access and rights to that $5 billion dollars worth of software and to the blue prints.

IBM and other large companies are not surprised and used open source software to generate the $57 billion mentioned in the opening paragraph. You have the same rights and access as these large companies and can use that same $5 billion dollars in software and investment to benefit you. The first step is to know that the opportunity exists.

In Plain Sight

The economic opportunity provided by Free and Open Source Software appears to be a secret kept in plain sight. While most people have heard the term (Open Source) and are aware of Linux, WordPress, Apache, and many other Open Source applications, most are not fully aware of the opportunities that this software makes available to them.

Most understand that Open Source is software that can be acquired and used at no cost. However, many are not aware that the Open Source license grants everyone rights in addition to the right to use the software.

A Free Software licenses ensures that the public has commercial and creative rights to that software. The commercial and creative rights include the rights to reproduce, modify and sell the software. Typically, the only restrictions for free software licenses have the goal of ensuring that neither the software nor its derivatives become non-free.

The Open Source license legally guarantees and protects these rights to everyone. This is an incredible gift with unbelievable financial value, however many are unaware that they have been given this once in a generation opportunity.

Imagine that Microsoft announces that they are transferring the rights for all Microsoft software to everyone and developing a new license as a gift. The new license will ensure that everyone has access to the blue prints for the software and that everyone has the rights to sell, copy, modify and support the software. The new agreement will ensure that no one can take these rights from you but will require that anything you build from the software should be shared with others.

You would own the blue prints for the software running the majority of desktop computers and many servers as well. There would be millions of clients and billions of dollars of spent annually on software, support and maintenance. Do you think having access and the rights to all of this would provide economic opportunity for you? You would have the option to support, build, sell and/or use the software to make money in any way that you could imagine. The opportunity would be incredible.

For Open Source software the scenario imagined with Microsoft is not a fantasy. Open Source software is the dominate category of software used on the Internet today and its use continues to grow and expand. It is not a shock that this opportunity is primarily being leveraged by the elites in society, while the average person is largely unaware.

Why The Secret?

This information and opportunity are not really being kept secret but few seem to be interested in educating the masses. Many who are aware are busy learning and leveraging this opportunity for themselves. Anyone looking for the opportunity of a life time should learn more.

The lack of information on the economic potential is partially due to the fact that the leaders of the Open Source movement did not focus on the economic opportunity. They believed that software source had be be available and visible to improve the quality of software developed and to ensure that no small group controlled computer software. They focused on the issues of public good and liberty as the driving motives for free software. The economic opportunity is a bi-product of software freedom and and not a primary goal for the movement. However, the opportunity created has not been lost on the Wall Street, business and/or governments.

Corporations, governments and knowledgeable individuals are utilizing open source software in record numbers to decrease costs, increase profits, develop products and create wealth. Our goal is to increase awareness of open source and to assist everyone in leveraging its economic and social value. Learn how to use open source to create opportunity and wealth.