Although it may seem that the Open Source Software contributors receive nothing in return, in fact they receive respect, prestige, and access to a network of knowledgeable programmers,. They are dedicated professionals who have well defined organizational structures and set of procedures for getting the work done.
The Open-source Software movement has been evolving for more than 30 years and by now thousands of Open-source programmes are available from hundreds of Web sites.
The range of Open-source Software extends from Operating Systems to Desktop Productivity suites, Web Browsers, and Games.
Major Hardware and Software vendors, including IBM, HP, Dell, Oracle and SAP now offer Linux-compatible versions of their products.