The open-source movement in the technology world has been growing steadily. Organisations have been working hard to contribute code and documentation to open-source projects which can be used by other developers.
Open-source software is licensed to use without cost, and often this license also has conditions that allow anyone to make changes to the code. One of the best things about open-source software is that it can be used for any purpose, as long as the license terms are met.
With Azure’s open-source support, you can now use open-source tools on the cloud with all of Azure’s benefits: security, scalability, and manageability.
Open-source software has many benefits; Microsoft itself stated that open source provides, “autonomy and control for developers to flexibly choose their infrastructure and give them options to build, migrate, and deploy across multiple environments on premises, in the cloud, or at the end”.
What is open source?
Open source is a type of software where the source code is open and accessible to the public.
The part of the app that most users see is the “user interface”. Programmers who have access to a computer program’s source code can improve the software by adding features or fixing parts; they can also reuse the code or reformulate the software to fit their needs.
The opposite to open-source code is proprietary or closed source code, in which some software only allows the creators or organisations to modify its code.
There are many reasons people may prefer to use open-source software. One of the key reasons is that it offers convenience in terms of customisation. Open-source software is also often more cost-effective than its proprietary counterparts, and has a wider range of features in general.
Some believe in the ideology behind open-source software; they feel that the spirit of creative commons in open-source projects is admirable and should be encouraged.
Open-source fosters innovation, and benefits collaboration among people worldwide. It allows many talented engineers to work on it together at any given point in time, which helps in solving bugs and developing projects.
Open source and Azure
Microsoft Azure provides a leading open-source platform for enterprise developers and teams. The platform itself is built with open source and offers functionality that is unmatched on the market.
Azure’s integration with open source is a powerful asset that many companies have been using to their advantage. It’s not just about using open-source code for a single person’s project, but the ability to contribute back to a project and integrate it into Azure.
This allows Azure users to access free and quality pieces of code from anywhere in the world when they need it for their projects. It is also particularly useful for those who want to build a web or phone app using open-source languages like Python or Java.
Why is Azure useful for open-source users?
Microsoft Azure is a highly secure cloud platform. While developers are still responsible for the security of their app, there is less chance of their data or projects being compromised.
Microsoft Azure is well-protected against cyberattacks. Microsoft is doing its part to make machine learning more accessible, and offers free, open-sourced toolkits to ensure developers approach AI responsibly.
Microsoft Azure provides a growing selection of open-source tools and infrastructure to help power the next era of application development. As more companies seek to innovate faster and more securely, they are turning to Azure as their platform of choice for building modern apps on any device, in any industry or geography, at any scale.
Azure is a great way for developers to release their applications without worrying about scalability, high availability, or security. All these are managed by Azure.
All you need to do is create your app, and then publish it using Azure’s self-service portal.
Discover more with the Azure experts
Over the years, open source on Azure has helped many businesses with scalability, lower cost, and faster time to market. Give your business an upgrade by getting out of the data-centre business and into the cloud.
As a Microsoft Gold Partner, INTELLIWORX provides all the expertise, knowledge, and management of Azure that you could ever need.
If you’re looking for a better way to deliver business and support new projects, we can provide flexible, secure, and scalable infrastructure through Microsoft Azure. Contact our Azure specialists today.
Modernise your aging apps or infrastructure with Azure to ensure you’re future-proofing your work.
