OpenLogic Survey Shows Enterprise Use of Open Source Grows as Users Become More Sophisticated and Opinionated About Licensing Issues

Enterprises Say "Open Core" Business Models Are Their Least Favorite

• Press Release
• Source: OpenLogic
• On 7:10 am EDT, Thursday September 10, 2009

BROOMFIELD, CO--(Marketwire - 09/10/09) - OpenLogic, Inc., a provider of enterprise open source software solutions encompassing hundreds of open source packages, today announced the results of a survey of 118 enterprise IT and development executives that showed a growing trend toward interest in open source packages that don't force single vendor lock in.

"The business ecosystem that has evolved around open source software is diverse," said Kim Weins, senior vice president of products and marketing at OpenLogic. "Still, as debates from vendors continue about the best models, customers are saying that they want commercial support for the lowest possible price without vendor lock in. They want to choose whether to buy support based on the value it delivers, and not be forced to buy a subscription to get critical features."

The survey was conducted between September 1 and September 4, 2009. More than 118 people responded to the survey. 66% of respondents said they were employed by companies with more than 200 employees.

The results found:

Open source continues to grow as companies proactively look for open source solutions:

�
--  75% of respondents say their companies are very open to the use of
    open source software --  using it in "many situations" or "proactively
    using open source whenever possible"
--  38% of respondents say their companies are proactively considering
    open source software "whenever possible"
    

Companies want open source packages that have commercial support.

�
--  81% of respondents say their companies are likely to use open source
    projects that have a commercial support option
    

Companies are currently most likely to use open source packages that are backed by multiple vendors or a community, and least likely to use a project backed by a single vendor:

�
--  68% of respondents say their companies are likely to use open source
    projects that are backed by multiple vendors
--  68% of respondents say their companies are likely to use open source
    projects that are backed by only a community
--  58% of respondents say their companies are likely to use open source
    projects that are backed by a single vendor
    

Larger companies with more than 200 employees are currently most likely to use open source packages that are backed by multiple vendors and least likely to use projects from a single vendor:

�
--  68% of respondents at large companies are likely to use open source
    when it's backed by multiple vendors
--  58% of respondents at large companies are likely to use open source
    when it's backed by only a community
--  55% of respondents at large companies are likely to use open source
    when it's backed by a single vendor
    

Projects backed only by a community lose ground against other types when respondents of 200+ employee companies were asked about their future preferences:

�
--  76% of respondents said that in the future they are likely to use
    multivendor projects
--  67% of respondents said that in the future they are likely to use an
    open source project backed by a single vendor
--  64% of respondents said that in the future they are likely to use
    community-only backed projects
    

Despite its growing popularity with commercial open source startups, enterprise users of open source software prefer the "open core" model the least:

�
--  86% are likely to use open source that is offered under an open source
    license with paid support as an option
--  81% are likely to use open source that is offered under a dual license
    model
--  69% are likely to use open source under an "open core" license model
    

About OpenLogic

OpenLogic is a leading provider of open source solutions that enable enterprises to safely acquire, support, and control open source software. OpenLogic provides enterprises with a certified library of open source software that encompasses hundreds of the most popular open source packages via OpenLogic Exchange (OLEX), a free web site where companies can find, research, and download certified, enterprise-ready open source packages on demand. With the broadest open source coverage in the industry, OpenLogic offers indemnification; updates; and enterprise-grade technical support backed by the OpenLogic Expert Community. OpenLogic also provides solutions for open source governance and to automate the integration and deployment of open source components -- reducing the risk and maximizing the cost savings associated with using open source software. For more on OpenLogic, go to www.openlogic.com.

 
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