BridgeLink is open source software. The software is made available to everyone under the terms and conditions of the Alternate Route Open Source License. In a nutshell, your acceptance of the terms and conditions of the Alternate Route Open Source License permits you to:

use the software for any purpose
distribute the software to anyone, gratis or for a fee
get a copy of the source code
modify the software and distribute modified versions
create new software based on this software

What's the catch? All distributions of the software, including derivative works, must be under the terms and conditions of the Alternate Route Open Source License.

Definitions

Open source software has been around since the early 1980s. More than thirty years later open source software is still confused with other types of software. These definitions will help to resolve some of the confusion.

Public Domain

Software that has been placed in the public domain. There is absolutely no ownership such as copyright, trademark, or patent. U.S. copyright law explicitly prohibits the federal government from copyrighting. This prohibition does not apply to States.

Freeware

Software that is available at no monetary cost, but with one or more usage rights restricted such as source code being withheld, redistribution prohibited, and purpose of usage restricted (e.g. non-commercial use only).

Shareware

Proprietary software that is provided to users on a limited free trial basis and pursuant to a license which restricts any commercial benefit or use of the software.

Proprietary

Software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder with the intent that the licensee is given the right to use the software only under certain conditions.

Open Source

Software made available with its source code and licensed in such a way that the copyright holder grants rights to study, modify, distribute the software to anyone for any purpose, and create derivative works from the software.

Benefits of Open Source Software

Open Source Software offers many benefits to you as a software consumer. These benefits are highlighted below.

License Management

Considerable resources must be dedicated to ensuring all programs on all computers in your organization are properly licensed. Using unlicensed software is, for all intents and purposes, a copyright violation and subjects you to monetary fines and federal prosecution. With open source software, you have the right to use the software any time you want, on as many computers as you want, for any purpose you want. You just have to install it and use it. There is no need for a complex license management solution.

Distribution

You are going to love BridgeLink and all of its applications. You will be telling your friends and colleagues all about it and they are going to want a copy. Unlike proprietary software, you can give a copy to anyone; for gratis or for a fee.

Validation

As an engineer, you are responsible for your designs. When you choose to use computer software to perform calculations on your behalf, you are still responsible for your design. So how do you know the software is performing correctly for your particular situation? Hopefully the software provides enough detail in the output that the calculations can be verified. With open source software, you get the source code so you can look at how every calculation is performed. You can run the software in a debugger with your input data and watch how every calculation is performed. Only open source software gives you this unprecedented ability to validate the procedures and results of the engineering computations on which you are relying for the accuracy of your work and ultimately public safety.

Choice

With other types of software you are typically locked into a single source for support, service, and enhancements. With open source software, you are free to get support, service, and enhancements from anyone willing to provide them. Don't like the telephone support you are getting? No problem, purchase it from someone else. Want a feature added to the software? No problem, do it yourself or contract with someone to do it for you. Open Source Software gives you an incredible amount of freedom and choice.

Why Open Source?

WSDOT is developing its BridgeLink suite of applications as open source software because it creates benefits for WSDOT that far exceeds that which would be realized if a more restrictive model was used. WSDOT creates its own bridge engineer software tools when suitable commercial alternatives are not available or when a software tool is critical to procedures and processes and the inability to control that software adversely impacts WSDOT.

The value of software to WSDOT is the value that is derived from using it as a tool. WSDOT can do things more efficiently and effectively with the tool than without it. Since the software does not have value as a saleable commodity there is no harm or loss by making it available to everyone for gratis.

Tax dollars pay the salaries and purchase the resources needed to develop this software. The open source software model allows WSDOT to maximize the return on those dollars. WSDOT has realized many benefits using an open source model including:

Minimal number of defects as a result of broad and diverse usage of our software tools
Increased robustness of feature sets as a result of external inputs
Reduced development cost through collaborative development efforts
Ensured longevity of the software as non-WSDOT users develop vested interests in the long term viability of the software

The open source software model is an excellent fit for government developed software. You can read more about the benefits of government developed open source software at GovTech.com.