What is it?

Apache is far and away the most popular web server, with more than double Microsoft's market share. But perhaps market share is the wrong term, since anyone can download and install Apache free of charge. It is an open source product, maintained by the the Apache Project, which describes itself as "a collaborative software development effort aimed at creating a robust, commercial-grade, featureful, and freely available source code implementation of an HTTP web server."

Like Linux, Apache is managed by a core of dedicated developers around the world, linked by the internet. The Apache people believe the tools of online publishing should be open to everyone, and software companies should make their money by providing value-added services. They are fiercely opposed to the idea of one company owning the protocols through which we all communicate.

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