In recent years, software giants like Microsoft have found open source software like Linux and Firefox nipping at their heels.

Open source software is typically available for free and is set up so that programmers around the world can tinker with the code and make improvements.

The two camps — proprietary and open source — have been having an ongoing debate about which model is more efficient for developers and which is ultimately less expensive for consumers.

Now, the University of Regina has joined the fray, launching its first senior-level course in open source software development.

Brad Henry, who's the senior technical analyst for the Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation at Casino Regina, is teaching the course, which begins later this month.

"This enables us to participate in a movement at an individual level and bring a lot of those skills to Saskatchewan residents in a way that they can access it without needing to spend a lot of money on training," Henry said.

Among the enthusiastic open source boosters on the U of R campus is Luther College philosophy professor Roger Petry. He says businesses, Crown corporations and universities that ignore open source programs are throwing money away.

Open source advocates recommend Linux as a substitute for the Windows operating system, OpenOffice as a substitute for the Microsoft Office suite and Firefox as a replacement for the Internet Explorer web browser.

"A lot of the money ends up leaving our local economy because we are paying licensing fees on proprietary software and those companies aren't located here," Petry said.

According to Petry, the money would be better spent paying local programmers who offer technical support.