Editing Free software (section)

== {{anchor|Adoption}} Economic aspects and adoption ==

{{Main|Free and open-source software#Adoption}}
{{See also|Linux adoption|Open-source software#Adoption}}

Free software played a significant part in the development of the Internet, the World Wide Web and the infrastructure of [[dot-com companies]].<ref name="Web Server Survey" /><ref name="Apache Strategy" /> Free software allows users to cooperate in enhancing and refining the programs they use; free software is a [[pure public good]] rather than a [[private good]]. Companies that contribute to free software increase commercial [[innovation]].<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Teresa |last1=Waring |first2=Philip |last2=Maddocks |title=Open Source Software implementation in the UK public sector: Evidence from the field and implications for the future |url=http://doai.io/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2005.06.00 |journal=International Journal of Information Management |date=1 October 2005 |pages=411–428 |volume=25 |issue=5 |doi=10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2005.06.002 |quote=In addition OSS's development process is creating innovative products that are reliable, secure, practical and have high usability and performance ratings. Users are now not only benefiting from the OSS revolution but also from the improved proprietary software development that is being forced upon suppliers in order to maintain competitive advantage.|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

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|quote="We migrated key functions from Windows to Linux because we needed an operating system that was stable and reliable&nbsp;– one that would give us in-house control. So if we needed to patch, adjust, or adapt, we could."
|source=Official statement of the [[United Space Alliance]], which manages the computer systems for the [[International Space Station]] (ISS), regarding their May 2013 decision to migrate ISS computer systems from Windows to Linux<ref>{{cite news |author=Gunter, Joel |title=International Space Station to boldly go with Linux over Windows |work=The Telegraph |date=May 10, 2013 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10049444/International-Space-Station-to-boldly-go-with-Linux-over-Windows.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10049444/International-Space-Station-to-boldly-go-with-Linux-over-Windows.html |archive-date=2022-01-11 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Bridgewater |first=Adrian |title=International Space Station adopts Debian Linux, drops Windows & Red Hat into airlock |journal=[[Computer Weekly]] |date=May 13, 2013 |url=http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/open-source-insider/2013/05/international-space-station-adopts-debian-linux-drop-windows-red-hat-into-airlock.html}}</ref>}}

The economic viability of free software has been recognized by large corporations such as [[IBM]], [[Red Hat]], and [[Sun Microsystems]].<ref name="ibm" /><ref name="Hamid" /><ref name="l-erick" /><ref name="gpl-java" /><ref name="MERIT-floss" /> Many companies whose core business is not in the IT sector choose free software for their Internet information and sales sites, due to the lower initial capital investment and ability to freely customize the application packages. Most companies in the software business include free software in their commercial products if the licenses allow that.<ref name="Popp2" />

Free software is generally available at no cost and can result in permanently lower TCO ([[total cost of ownership]]) compared to [[proprietary software]].<ref name="eprints" /> With free software, businesses can fit software to their specific needs by changing the software themselves or by hiring programmers to modify it for them. Free software often has no warranty, and more importantly, generally does not assign legal liability to anyone. However, warranties are permitted between any two parties upon the condition of the software and its usage. Such an agreement is made separately from the free software license.

A report by Standish Group estimates that adoption of free software has caused a drop in revenue to the proprietary software industry by about $60&nbsp;billion per year.<ref name="standishgroup" /> [[Eric S. Raymond]] argued that the term ''free software'' is too ambiguous and intimidating for the business community. Raymond promoted the term ''[[open-source software]]'' as a friendlier alternative for the business and corporate world.<ref name="esr" />