2. Apache

Apache is the leading internet web server, with over 60% market share, according to the Netcraft survey. Several key factors have contributed to Apache's success:

• The Apache license. It is an open source, BSD-like license that allows for both commercial and non-commercial uses of Apache.
• Talented community of developers with a variety of backgrounds and an open development process based on technical merits.
• Modular architecture. Apache users can easily add functionality or taylor Apache to their specific enviroment.
• Portable: Apache runs on nearly all flavors of Unix (and Linux), Windows, BeOs, mainframes...
• Robustness and security

The following websites use Apache or derivatives. Chances are that if Apache is good enough for them, it is also good enough for you :)

• Amazon.com
• Yahoo!
• W3 Consortium
• Financial Times
• Network solutions
• MP3.com
• Stanford

>From the Apache website:

The Apache Project is a collaborative software development effort aimed at creating a robust, commercial-grade, featureful, and freely-available source code implementation of an HTTP (Web) server.

The Apache project has grown beyond building just a web server into other critical server side technologies like Java or XML. The Apache Software Foundation, described in the next section serves as an umbrella for these projects.

Related talk

• W09: Introduction to the Apache Web Server
• F16: Licensing issues in commercial OSS products