Customers continue to cite cost savings as a key driver for adopting open source software, particularly given the current economy – but what else is driving open source?

Given current economic conditions, there is considerable interest in open source, with many people wondering whether open source software and licensing can really help lower the cost of enterprise computing compared with traditional proprietary software and licensing. In our survey, we received reinforcement of what we learned in our discussions with vendors, end users, investors and others – that difficult economic conditions have driven greater interest and adoption for open source software.

WHERE ARE THE SAVINGS?

Highlighting the potential savings through open source software licensing, which typically allows greater scale and flexibility in deployment, a whopping 83.7% of our survey respondents cited licenses as where they derive cost savings from open source. The other area that scored more than half of respondents was license management, which earned 54.1% of responses.

Other major sources of savings, according to the survey, are: maintenance contracts (43.7%), hardware (34%), support, productivity and development (all at 31%). Additionally, respondents cited operations (22.3%), professional services (19.8%), training (10.5%), testing (10.3%) and staffing (8.8%) as the origin of cost savings from open source. Based on ‘other’ survey responses to our question on the origin of cost savings, we would add that several customers indicated that open source software and vendors provide more streamlined, unencumbered access and support compared to traditional software vendors.

Take a look to this survey : User Perspectives on the Impact of Economic Conditions on Open Source Software Adoption