The term "Open Systems" can be applied to many things, depending on who you talk to. In this context, it refers to the practices of: a). Designing computing environments based on industry and government accepted standards that are vendor independent (that is, independent of which "brand" you choose to purchase), and of b). Purchasing "off-the-shelf" items not specifically designed for your application. Further, an open system provides interoperability (meaning various systems should be able to "talk" to one another). It allows portability of software, data, and users (i.e. they can be transferred to other computer systems). Finally, an open system uses computer systems which are scalable (they can be upgraded as technology progresses instead of being replaced).

One of the primary benefits of Open Systems will be easier upgrades. Hardware can be updated with faster processors and higher volume communications devices more easily. The design architecture of such a system allows (to an extent) interchangability with commercial off-the-shelf hardware. A total redesign of the system is usually not needed when a new hardware suite is desired. The software can be written so that it supplies information and control through a Graphical User Interface (GUI, which reduces new user familiarization time, and in general makes human-radar interactions a more productive process. Compliance with industry and government approved open systems standards (such as POSIX for communications protocols), and use of open systems languages (such as C) and operating systems (such as UNIX) help to ensure compatability with future technologies which may be employed in the system. Finally, the software may be designed such that it can be updated more frequently, be supplemented with new algorithms developed by researchers in weather radar, and be portable to many other platforms.