Open-source: A reality in the midmarket

For many companies today, open-source is much, much more than just Linux. While 90 percent of companies with revenues below $500 million will use Linux by the end of 2007, other open-source applications like Apache, Firefox, and other Web and application tools, database systems and development tools also have caught on. The benefits are clear: lower costs, flexibility, integration and security. A survey by CIO Insight finds that four of five midmarket companies plan to expand the use of these open-source tools as well. Even small businesses are deploying open-source software, including database systems, middleware, programming languages, virtualization software, wikis and business intelligence applications. This year, companies are spending, on average, more than half a million dollars to install and maintain open-source systems, and nearly half of small and mid-sized businesses have adopted a full-fledged open-source architecture. What's more, open-source is redefining what it means to work in IT. Nearly all CIOs at SMBs allow their staff to participate in open-source projects; many also follow the open source model to develop their own software.

Read more about the rise of open-source:
- read the article [1] at CIO Insight

ALSO:
- read this [2] on how open-source has grown up
- this [3] on how open-source can be risky
- and this [4] on whether open-source security is good enough