Use of Open Source Software: A Summary of Survey Data

by Gabriele Piccoli

This survey examined the IT strategy around open source software and the use of open source software in 208 organizations. The responding organizations were almost evenly divided between those that have no specific strategy for OSS and those that do have a strategy (including 9% who just created a strategy). Fully 75% of the respondents are currently using OSS, and more than half of these respondents (57%) report that they have achieved the success they wanted by using OSS. Of the responding organizations, 26% have 500 or more IT professionals, 22% have between 100 and 500, with the remainder having fewer than 100. Annual IT budgets range from less than US $100,000 (17%) to more than $100 million (13%). Almost half of respondents are headquartered in North America, a quarter are headquartered in Europe, and the remainder have headquarters throughout the rest of the world.