Gartner: Open Source Becoming Pervasive Yet Lacking Governance
Market research firm Gartner discovered that most of the almost 300 organizations it surveyed employed Open Source software in one way or another, but that a general license enforcement policy was missing.
The biggest challenge for the open source organizations surveyed proved to be software governance and license policies, according to the Connecticut market research firm's study over May and June of 2008. The second place challenge was that Open Source software (OSS) companies have trouble with contradictory terms of use. Those surveyed also pointed to the countless licensing required.
Gartner's results show that around four-fifths of the 274 end-user organizations use OSS in their projects. Only about a third of them have a "formal policy for evaluating and cataloguing OSS usage in their enterprise, opening up huge potential liabilities for intellectual-property violations." "Just because something is free doesn't mean that it has no cost," says Gartner's research director Laurie Wurster in their press release. In her view each organization should have a policy about OSS so that it can control which of its applications and projects should use it and assess the consequences thereof.
Gartner found that total cost of ownership (TCO) was the main reason why organizations choose OSS and replace commercial solutions with it. Close behind was the ability to engage more easily in new IT projects and software initiatives. According to the study, OSS also frees organizations from dependence on single vendors. Finally, OSS allows them to "avoid complex procurement rules and procedures" so as to respond to user needs more quickly.
The survey spanned eight countries in North America, Europe and Asia, targeting end-users but excluding software vendors and external software providers. Respondents came from the manufacturing, education, financial and service sectors, from small, medium and large organizations.
Issue 270/2023
Buy this issue as a PDF
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Find SysAdmin Jobs
News
-
OpenMandriva Lx 23.03 Rolling Release is Now Available
OpenMandriva "ROME" is the latest point update for the rolling release Linux distribution and offers the latest updates for a number of important applications and tools.
-
CarbonOS: A New Linux Distro with a Focus on User Experience
CarbonOS is a brand new, built-from-scratch Linux distribution that uses the Gnome desktop and has a special feature that makes it appealing to all types of users.
-
Kubuntu Focus Announces XE Gen 2 Linux Laptop
Another Kubuntu-based laptop has arrived to be your next ultra-portable powerhouse with a Linux heart.
-
MNT Seeks Financial Backing for New Seven-Inch Linux Laptop
MNT Pocket Reform is a tiny laptop that is modular, upgradable, recyclable, reusable, and ships with Debian Linux.
-
Ubuntu Flatpak Remix Adds Flatpak Support Preinstalled
If you're looking for a version of Ubuntu that includes Flatpak support out of the box, there's one clear option.
-
Gnome 44 Release Candidate Now Available
The Gnome 44 release candidate has officially arrived and adds a few changes into the mix.
-
Flathub Vying to Become the Standard Linux App Store
If the Flathub team has any say in the matter, their product will become the default tool for installing Linux apps in 2023.
-
Debian 12 to Ship with KDE Plasma 5.27
The Debian development team has shifted to the latest version of KDE for their testing branch.
-
Planet Computers Launches ARM-based Linux Desktop PCs
The firm that originally released a line of mobile keyboards has taken a different direction and has developed a new line of out-of-the-box mini Linux desktop computers.
-
Ubuntu No Longer Shipping with Flatpak
In a move that probably won’t come as a shock to many, Ubuntu and all of its official spins will no longer ship with Flatpak installed.