The end result is a better product. As a result of Netscape's Mozilla.org initiative, Netscape Communicator 5.0 will be the first new release which will leverage contributions from developers from across the industry. One of the most significant contributions of the Mozilla project is the creation of web browsers for virtually every operating system on the planet, including low cost appliances. In a commercial environment, it is not practical to develop versions for every platform, but now that Netscape has released the source code for Communicator, developers anywhere can work on porting the program to alternative platforms. Programmers worldwide are localizing Communicator for international users.
Localization is another task which is frequently overlooked by commercial software developers.
Since Netscape has opened their source to developers, people worldwide are busy adapting the program to their local language. And of course, users want new features. The beauty of open source is that any competent software developer can create extensions for a product. Some developers are working on chat extensions for Communicator. Others are working on directory services.