Commitment to Open Source

What is open source software?

Open source software is based on active communities that contribute to further development and advancing a product. Unlike closed source software, the source code of open source software is publicly available to everyone and free of licence fees. Everyone is free to download this source code, use it for their own purposes and adapt it to their needs and requirements. 

With open source software, the community decides in which direction the product will evolve and thus determines new features and improvements. Every new release therefore comes with the functionalities actually requested by the majority of users. 

Open source software wins out on account of its durability and transparency. Publicly accessible documentation of the software and its features provides an overview of the code's functions – you can see from where data comes and how it is processed at which points and do not have to look for secret backdoors. 

Clear, reliable release cycles also provide for planning certainty and stability.

We believe in the open source model and the idea of taking but also, in turn, giving back. That is why we have been using and supporting various open source software systems for over 20 years and play an active role in these communities.