Much of the talk about enterprise open source software centers around its potential, with upbeat projections offered for the next year, the next five years, and beyond. But such forecasts overlook a simple fact: open source is already well-established in the enterprise. Moreover, adoption goes way beyond Linux. Here’s a look at the state of the penguin in information technology. The bottom line: the penguin is cool.
Let’s get one thing straight: open source software isn’t “on its way” into the enterprise. It isn’t creeping in, slowly but steadily; it isn’t sneaking in the back door; and it isn’t a cheap alternative to Windows. No, open source software is well-established in the enterprise, and adoption goes way beyond Linux.
In a Forrester Research report issued earlier this year, 75 percent of large enterprises surveyed said they’re either using or plan to use open source software, up from 60 percent in 2004. Another survey, one from IDC, reported that half of the developers surveyed claimed their employers’ use of open source was rising. In general, the consensus is that most enterprises are already making use of open source and plan to expand adoption to include more packages in more places. As penetration increases, the cost savings add up, too, and executives at all levels are taking notice.
But the rapid arrogation comes with some growing pains. Enterprise customers expanding beyond the usual suspects are wrestling with familiar issues, including sourcing, integration, maintenance, policy management, and support — issues…
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