Open source has hold on businesses

 

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By Nicole Kobie

Posted on 17 Nov 2008 at 11:55

A new study by Gartner reveals 85% of businesses have turned to open-source software, with the rest set to take the plunge over the coming year.

Many firms are switching to open-source systems (OSS) as a replacement for proprietary software, the study claims, noting that open-source is being used for mission critical processes as often as it is for less business-necessary functions.

Gartner claims the driving reason behind the switch is a lower total cost of ownership and "reduction in development of cost-prohibitive factors". The research firm also notes that companies are being attracted by the ease of being able to experiment with new projects and initiatives.

Firms also suggested they saw open source as a way to ensure a vendor didn't come to "own" their IT department, while others say it helps them avoid complex procurement procedures.

But the poll revealed that 69% of the surveyed firms had no set policy for tracking open-source use, leaving them at risk to intellectual property troubles.

"Just because something is free doesn't mean that it has no cost," notes Laurie Wurster, research director at Gartner.

"Companies must have a policy for procuring OSS, deciding which applications will be supported by OSS, and identifying the intellectual property risk or supportability risk associated with using OSS," she adds. "Once a policy is in place, then there must be a governance process to enforce it."