Report

September 2003

• 72% of firms interviewed plan to use more open source.
• Cost is the primary benefit for 68% of interviewees.
• 80% say that the SCO lawsuit has no impact on their plans.

• Open source is a market force -- not just source code.
• Firms can learn from vendors to master open source myths.
• The Forrester Wave™ is a powerful framework for assessing open source enterprise viability.
• Open source will move relentlessly up the software stack.

• Linux desktops: Abandon the "just like Windows" strategy.

• Surprise! Open source will expand the software market.
• Microsoft will master open source principles.

• Figure 1.  Open Source Is Moving Into The Enterprise
• Figure 2.  Cost Leads The List Of Benefits
• Figure 3.  Support -- Not Licensing -- Is The Biggest Concern
• Figure 4.  Firms Fall Into Three Camps: Modifiers, Viewers, And Users
• Figure 5.  Microsoft Will Feel Open Source Pressure
• Figure 6.  Open Source Is More Than Free Software
• Figure 7.  Open Source Myths, Realities, And Strategy
• Figure 8.  Open Source Licenses And Business Models Worth Mastering
• Figure 9.  Your Technology Profile Determines Your Open Source Strategy
• Figure 10.  An Open Source Assessment Framework
• Figure 11.  Forrester Wave™: Open Source Enterprise Viability, Q3 '03
• Figure 12.  Market Factors Determine Open Source Developers' Interests

 

• Online Resource
• Methodology
• Companies And Experts Interviewed For This Report
• Related Research
• Recommended Reading

• "Don't want to upgrade? You don't have to."
• OSDL pursues a "balanced approach" -- and gives users a voice in Linux.
• "If you break it, you get to keep both halves."
• Apple pares cost and bakes new products using open source components.