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What comes to mind when you think about open source? Is it the latest Unicef initiative? Maybe it is the Barclays OSS migration, or perhaps you are thinking about open hardware and the Internet of Things, for example, the release of the Raspberry Pi 3, the BBC Microbit, or you may have seen our previous blog on the Wileyfox open source mobile phone.
Whatever it is that comes to mind, it is clear that open source no longer needs an explanation, and one thing is for sure, it is no longer new and the pace of evolution is increasing.
Open source has come a long way from the historic culture of stereotyped ideas around it being solely in the domain of geeks and coders. The business community is embracing the philosophy and today we see it leading in areas across industry, healthcare and education.
The results of the 2015 BlackDuck/Northbridge Future of Open Source Survey concluded that as many as 78% of companies may operate some or all of their systems on Open Source Software. And 93% said that they would maintain or increase their use of Open Source.
Businesses everywhere are seeing the benefits of open source. From technology giants to SME's, open source applications which are easily scalable are proving to have an immense amount of value, and even Microsoft who 15 years ago were very publicly against Open Source, are opening their eyes to its potential.
In education we can see an increased importance of STEM subjects. With Fisher Price creating code related toys for preschoolers and Raspberry Pi's and MicroBit being commonly found in classrooms and coding clubs as an educational tool.
Healthcare in the UK has seen the launch of the Code4Health platform encouraging sharing and collaboration in their open ecosystem for those who want to write, create and share applications with a plan to improve patient care and outcomes.
These are just some of the examples of areas being conquered by Open Source this year, which of course begs the question - what's next?
The year 2016 marks the 10th year in which Black Duck Software have teamed up with North Bridge Ventures and a group of collaborators to engage the community to participate in the Future of Open Source Software Survey.
The survey aims to collect information from businesses and individuals around their current use of Open Source and their future plans. The data can be used to compare against previous results and predict future trends which will provide a valuable insight into the world of all things open source in business.
If you use Open Source yourself or within your organisation, we encourage you to complete the 10 minute on-line survey and contribute to one of the most well known global Open Source studies. A rounded and balanced view is crucial and your say is important! You can contribute by clicking here.
Posted by Lauren Westley on 14/03/2016
