NEWS
UK businesses are lagging behind their European and US counterparts in adopting open source software.
The UK is fifth in terms of uptake, with 15 per cent of businesses currently using open source technology. This compares with almost a quarter (24 per cent) of businesses using open source in France, 21 per cent in Germany and 17 per cent in both Canada and the US.
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Nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of UK businesses said they have no plans to adopt open source software within their organisation in the next 12 months. Around 36 per cent said they weren't interested in the technology at all.
But according to Forrester Research, the UK is joint top (with Germany and the US) for businesses currently piloting open source technology - with five per cent.
Another six per cent said they are planning to pilot open source technology in the next 12 months.
European businesses appear to be less concerned about the security of open source than those in North America, with just 45 per cent of Europeans saying they were concerned about security, compared to 71 per cent across the Atlantic.
According to Forrester, organisations using or planning to use open source software say lower cost is the main driver.
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1. Richard
It's partly a "branding" issue:
Microsoft and other large software companies have convinced many people in the UK - and many in authority - that buying anything else means buying "second best."
So, even for writing the occasional letter, people are convinced that they MUST have the very latest version of MS Office;
For tweaking a few photos, they MUST have the latest Photoshop; etc, etc.
This seems to be reinforced by the software used in schools - on preferential licences:
Here, youngster don't learn the principles; they learn how to use a particular version of a particular big-name software product.
Teachers, parents and children feel "insulted" when alternative lower cost or open source products are suggested.
Some other countries don't seem to suffer from such fragile egos:
In some countries, leading colleges and universities actually sponsor the development, localisation and use of open source software.
For example, last week I downloaded a nice version of Poseidon Technical Linux from Brazil.