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.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
openKylin 3.0 Released with Expanded AI Integration
The latest release features a pre-installed AI agent to help perform tasks.
-
DigitalOcean Ends Open Source Credits Program
In a change that has surprised many open source developers, DigitalOcean has decided to sunset its Open Source Credits Program.
-
Office 365 Available for Testing on Linux via Bottles
Linux users can now test the official Office 365, thanks to Mirko Brombin's work on Bottles.
-
Dutch Government Turns to Open Source for Digital Sovereignty
Following in the footsteps of other European countries, the Netherlands is looking to increase its sovereign digital infrastructure with open source software.
-
Linux May Soon Work on Snapdragon X2-Based PCs
If you're thinking about buying a Snapdragon X2-based desktop or laptop, Linux may soon be an option.
-
KDE for People Initiative Calls for AI Ban in Plasma
A new community of KDE wants the project to adopt a strict no-AI policy for KDE Plasma.
-
KDE Sets Ambitious Goals for 2026 and Beyond
KDE Connect reveals the goals for the Linux desktop darling, with one of those goals long overdue.
-
It’s Time to Test Fedora 45 Beta
Fedora 45 beta has been released with updated Gnome, KDE Plasma, and kernel.
-
Ubuntu Stonking Stingray Gets Even Rustier
Ubuntu 26.10 has completed its migration to the Rust-based coreutils.
-
AI Fixes Linux Bottlenecks Using “Hideous” Code
A Linux developer used AI to fix bottlenecks that caused problems when building the kernel. The resulting AI-generated code needed a lot of work.