The right approach to open source can be a great revenue model for the software provider — my company did it and we've been profitable since day one.

Not only does open source improve the software we rely on, but it builds public artifacts that help grow companies and their business models.

Some are choosing a closed model while others espouse an open approach. Here’s what to know. What does open-source software mean?

What is open-source software? Open-source software is non-proprietary software that allows anyone to modify, enhance, or simply view the source code behind it.