The Corporation has Gone Open-Source

<div>
<p><br></p>
<p><a href="http://www.itworld.com/business/116563/the-corporation-has-gone-open-source">http://www.itworld.com/business/116563/the-corporation-has-gone-open-source</a><br></p>
<p>&lt;quote&gt;</p>
<p>Accenture "found that half of the respondents (50 percent) are <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/investment-in-open-source-software-set-to-rise-accenture-survey-finds-2010-08-05?reflink=MW_news_stmp" target="new">fully committed to open source</a>
 in their business while almost a third (28 percent) say they are 
experimenting with open source and keeping an open mind to using it. 
Furthermore, two-thirds of all respondents (65 percent) noted that they 
have a fully documented strategic approach for using open source in 
their business, while another third (32 percent) are developing a 
strategic plan. Of the organizations using open source, almost nine out 
of ten (88 percent) will increase their investment in the software in 
2010 compared to 2009."</p>
<p>....<br></p>
<p>There are, though, other things that are still slowing down 
businesses' open-source conversion. Peter Vescuso, executive VP of 
marketing and business development for <a href="http://www.blackducksoftware.com/" target="new">Black Duck Software</a>, a company specializing in managing open source legal issues for businesses, commented on the Accenture study saying that a "<a href="http://blog.blackducksoftware.com/2010/08/06/accenture-survey-%E2%80%93-right-about-the-rise-of-open-source-but-developers-aren%E2%80%99t-the-roadblock" target="new">Lack of senior management support</a>
 and awareness is the main barrier. .... Once senior management becomes 
aware and accepts the fact that OSS plays a crucial role in the 
development process, the next logical step is to develop policies for 
usage, licensing, monitoring, reporting and contributing back to the 
community."</p>
<p>I think Vescuso is right. While management has learned about the 
value of open source, they still need more education about how 
open-source development and communities work. As they do so, and they 
are going to, FOSS will be picked up even more quickly in big business 
IT departments.</p>
<p>&lt;/quote&gt;<br></p>
</div>