Nearly all of the software we use to host our clients is fully Open Source under the General Public License, and therefore allows us full access to all the source code for all the software we run.

The basic idea behind open source is very simple. When programmers on the Internet can read, redistribute, and modify the source for a piece of software, it evolves. People improve it, people adapt it, people fix bugs, all at an astonishing speed. This rapid evolutionary process produces better software than the traditional closed model, in which only a very few programmers can see source and everybody else must blindly use an opaque block of bits.

Our servers run current versions of FreeBSD (a variant of UNIX), Apache, PHP, MySQL, and many others. A variety of modules and options are installed for Apache and Perl, most notably the mod_rewrite module for Apache, and full LWP for Perl. In addition, if there's a module you need installed, we're usually happy to oblige. Just let us know!

All of our software is continuously (and often automatically) upgraded, in order to maintain the utmost security and reliability. Because of our Hosting Genius program, we're able to roll out upgrades and patches faster than any of our competitors -- thus assuring the maximum uptime, security, and stability for our clients.

More information on open source software, including studies and further research, can be found at Open Source Initiative. Open Source is an intriguing concept that possesses amazing potential for organizations of all types and sizes.