Open source excels on IT expectations

Last Updated on Friday, 23 October 2009 13:18 Thursday, 22 October 2009 11:44

Open source has once again excelled against software companies/vendors. Nearly half of enterprises think a software purchase is successful if the software is installed/deployed. However in case of open source, business only starts after a software is installed or deployed.

According to a study recently released by Neochange, Sandhill Group, and the Technology Services Industry Association (TSIA), 45.3 percent of the 353 IT professionals surveyed call a software purchase successful if "the software is deployed/installed," according to CNET

75.4 percent (respondents could choose more than one answer) have a bit higher expectation. They aspire for "Business benefits realization," such as cost reduction, revenue generation as well. The result of this survey is surprising as it shows the software industry has such low expectation from vendors.

However, if you compare this result with open source and Saas, the software companies don't pay a penny until the software is working. So the software being deployed and installed is taken for granted. The Neochange survey also asks, "What is the most important factor for realizing value from enterprise software?" The answer "Gaining user buy-in and ensuring effective usage to deliver business impact" garnered a 71.7 percent vote. That's more easily achieved with open-source software, in particular, which allows enterprises to evaluate and use software long before they opt to purchase support or add-on services/software.

Read more: Silicon India 22 Oct 2009