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5 Ways to Solve the Open Source Industry's Biggest Problems

  • 5 Ways to Solve the Open Source Industry's Biggest Problems-

    Software Lock-In

    Overcoming concerns about software lock-in.

    Before building a business model on open source, companies must make sure they can trust those technologies in the long term. Some open source companies are truly committed to the free and open model, while others simply use the term "open source" as a way to jump on the bandwagon and ultimately build dependence to sell more software. Organizations should look for companies whose founders have a long history in open source and whose senior leaders have prioritized the idea of building strong open source communities. These companies contribute to the thriving open source community, as well as incubate and launch new open source projects that meet the needs of the community.

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5 Ways to Solve the Open Source Industry's Biggest Problems

  • 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
  • 5 Ways to Solve the Open Source Industry's Biggest Problems-6

    Software Lock-In

    Overcoming concerns about software lock-in.

    Before building a business model on open source, companies must make sure they can trust those technologies in the long term. Some open source companies are truly committed to the free and open model, while others simply use the term "open source" as a way to jump on the bandwagon and ultimately build dependence to sell more software. Organizations should look for companies whose founders have a long history in open source and whose senior leaders have prioritized the idea of building strong open source communities. These companies contribute to the thriving open source community, as well as incubate and launch new open source projects that meet the needs of the community.

Over the last decade, open source software and its audience of end users have greatly matured. Once only used by a small subset of tech-savvy early adopters, the convenience, effectiveness and cost savings of open source solutions are now driving enterprise IT to explore more ways to take advantage of the power of open source in their daily business operations.

In today's economy, enterprise IT has less to gain from developing and licensing software and more to gain from actively working with existing open source technology. However, the march toward open source still faces major obstacles before it becomes mainstream. In this slideshow, Travis Oliphant, CEO and founder of Continuum Analytics, outlines five challenges preventing enterprise IT from shifting to open source and tips for tackling them to keep the future of open source heading in the right direction. The road may be winding, but it will eventually lead companies to open source to help them innovate and as the way of the future.