Open source is a widespread movement that has accelerated the pace of technological process tremendously. Technically, "open source" means simply that the source code of a piece of software is not encrypted. Practically, it fosters an environment of sharing and cooperation, builds entire communities surrounding key systems, and brings us tremendously valuable resources like Linux, Apache, MySQL, php, Joomla!, and Mozilla Firefox. Financially, it means that our clients can leverage the work of thousands of brilliant developers at a remarkably low cost.
Many people do not realize what open source is all about or how to harness this tremendous resource that is all around us every day. However, we would certainly not be where we are today if humans had not learned to share techniques for agriculture and manufacturing. Open source takes that spirit of sharing and applies it to software.