Open source really is becoming more popular, especially in big business, according to a survey performed by Optaros and InformationWeek magazine. The survey shows that, on average, a company with over $1 Billion in revenue saved around $3.3 Million in 2004 as the result of using open source technologies over proprietary technologies.
"The survey results reveal that Linux, Apache, and assorted web browsers are the open source technologies most frequently used by the queried organizations. Open source content management systems (used by 42 percent of the survey participants) and customer relationship management technologies (used by 16 percent) are also becoming more popular in industry. The survey also examines the barriers that impede open source adoption. Licensing concerns, software cost allocation policies, and software selection process difficulties are cited as the most frequent problems."
The article also compares the findings of this study with similar ones done in other countries. Open source adoption happens for a variety of reasons, and it seems that in the U.S., the reason is most likely cost reduction, and in Europe, the reason is most likely to be flexibility. Whatever the reason, the numbers show that OSS is not only being taken seriously, but is expanding more than ever before.