Nine in ten companies use open source

New research from Rackspace has revealed that a majority of companies use open source to become more innovative and keep costs down

Nine in ten companies use open source

It’s not surprising that businesses are feeling jittery about cybersecurity, especially after last week’s news that a botnet had used Internet of Things devices to hack into platforms like Reddit, Twitter and Spotify. And this week, a new report from Rackspace, the managed cloud company, has revealed that while many companies are now using open source – a type of software that makes the original source code freely available – they still harbour security concerns.

The report, which surveyed 300 large organisations in the UK, found that 90% of companies are using open source coding, despite 54% associating it with security threats. And while 25% of companies are fully using open source, of the companies that aren’t fully using it, 49% saw closed source technologies as more secure.

Security concerns aside, 89% of respondents stated that open source has become a more attractive option over the last three years as it saves an average of six months and £30,146 per project. Additionally, 49% reported that open source enables them to be more innovative.

Given these benefits, it’s hardly surprising that a 66% of respondents are equipping employees with the skills needed to implement open source technology, with 62% providing open source development support and training around open source technology management.

“Open source has come of age,” said John Engates, chief technology officer at Rackspace. “With such an array of benefits to offer, businesses can’t afford to simply ignore open source. In fact, they need to be taking steps now to put the right skills and open source delivery partners in place so that they can futureproof and take full advantage of the positive impacts the technology has to offer.”
With the potential of open source on display, companies should take note of the old adage that sharing is caring.

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Eric Johansson
Eric Johansson
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