Open Source Defined Part of the problem is that open-source software is often mistakenly confused with freeware. It's true that many open-source packages are free, but the two terms mean very different things. Freeware doesn't provide access to source code, nor are users authorized to modify the product without permission from the author. Definitions of open source vary somewhat, but in general, it means that a program's original source code must be freely available to anyone who wants it. And an unusual license shouldn't be a reason to avoid it.
Software is software.
N.Y. Weiss also notes that open-source licenses, in general, work more in favor of users than against them. Most companies aren't doing that. Of course, the open-source community urges that you release any changes you make, even if you don't plan to redistribute the code. But once you get past the Sociology 101 language used by some adherents, there are compelling reasons to consider a move to open-source products. If the vendor goes under, you still have some chance of making patches and updates to the code.