Open Source Software

"Open Source" refers to software distributed with the condition that users must have access to both the program and the source code that is needed to make changes to the program. Users must also have the freedom to give away unlimited copies of the program and source code. This means that anyone can take the program, change it, and use and/or redistribute it for free.

Our Committment

inHealth is committed to open source software and open systems. We believe that a community model of software development offers more secure, stable, and cost effective solutions.

A Development Revolution

This open source/community model is proving to be a revolutionary development by enabling software designers easily to build on the work of others. Consequently, the quality of open source software has steadily improved. And although the true cost of software is more than its initial purchase price, the fact that open source software is freely available, and freely upgradeable, along with other characteristics (e.g., security, stability, access to source code for customization, and the absence of marketing gimmicks in the software) have led to its rapidly increasing popularity.(1)

(1) Choosing and Using Open Source Software: A Primer for NonProfits, by Michelle Murrain, Published by NOSI (Nonprofit Open Source Initiative), 2004.