TheOpenAnalyst » Technology Adoption

Linux spending set to boom by 21 percent in 2009

TheOpenAnalyst — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 05:46:00 +0000

Most vendors are already preparing for a tough Christmas.

Those selling Linux-based solutions, however, can expect to spread plenty of holiday cheer, according to a new report from IDC, “The Opportunity for Linux in a New Economy.”

Even as Red Hat recently talked up its impressive quarterly results, it’s important to recognize that not all of Linux’s success can be seen in corporate financial results. Much of the benefits of Linux comes from unpaid deployments, which continue to account for a healthy margin of total deployments

IDC: Linux spending set to boom by 21 percent in 2009 | The Open Road – CNET News

Microsoft ready for an open-source skoolin’

TheOpenAnalyst — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 05:46:00 +0000

Image via CrunchBase

Sam Ramji wants more input from the open-source community, hoping to make Microsoft more responsive to their needs.

The director of the open-source development lab at Microsoft has told a Linux Foundation event he’s trying to educate Microsoft and slowly change its ways. The only way he can do that, Ramji said, is to hear from those in the community, to channel and understand their ideas.

Ramji called himself the community’s “unelected representative” within Microsoft.

Microsoft ready for an open-source skoolin’ • The Register

Open source and the shrinking waterhole

TheOpenAnalyst — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 05:46:00 +0000

Image via CrunchBase

Matt Asay nods approvingly at a recent study saying more CIOs plan to invest in Red Hat and JBOSS technology.

Well and good. Just don’t break out the champagne.

Open source may be doing well with a shrinking waterhole but that does not necessarily mean it is doing well.

Open source and the shrinking waterhole | Open Source | ZDNet.com

Vodafone: Embracing Open Source with Open Arms

TheOpenAnalyst — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 05:46:00 +0000

Vodafone never put much stock in open innovation, or tapping outsiders for ideas. It didn’t need to. The company, after all, had grown into the world’s biggest wireless telecom operator on its own. But with such interlopers as Google and Nokia starting to tromp on its turf, Vodafone became a convert. “We were a bit naive thinking everything could be done in-house,” says Chief Executive Vittorio Colao. Now “the only way to create a fertile environment for innovation is to have open platforms and leverage them.”

The clearest sign of Vodafone’s new philosophy can be found on a Web portal called betavine. The site allows anyone from hobbyists to software pros to create and test one another’s mobile applications, which can be downloaded on any wireless network, not just Vodafone’s. While developers retain intellectual property rights, the British giant gets insight into the latest trends and ensures that new apps are compatible with its network. Vodafone itself used betavine to enlist those enthusiasts to test a software add-on that enables mobile broadband customers to access the Internet via Linux.

Vodafone: Embracing Open Source with Open Arms – BusinessWeek

Presidential commitment to open source still unclear

TheOpenAnalyst — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 05:46:00 +0000

The President’s announcement of a coordinated system of Electronic Medical Records for both soldiers and veterans could be a big win for open source.

As ZDNet Healthcare reported early this week the military and VA records will transfer under NHIN-CONNECT.

Presidential commitment to open source still unclear | Open Source | ZDNet.com

Red Hat CEO praises Obama openness, calls for ODF adoption

TheOpenAnalyst — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:05:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst issued a statement on Monday applauding President Obama for bringing a culture of openness and participatory governance to the White House. According to Whitehurst, the Obama administration’s commitment to transparency and inclusiveness reflects the same values that are found at the core of the community-driven open source software development model. He cites Republican media consultant Alex Castellanos, who recently described Obama as an “open source” president during a CNN segment.

Predictably, Whitehurst also takes the opportunity to encourage broader government adoption of open source software and open standards. He contends that the federal government has already saved a considerable sum of money by using open source technology and he suggests that millions more could be saved by expanding the government’s open source strategy.

Red Hat CEO praises Obama openness, calls for ODF adoption – Ars Technica

The open source sea change and the Taylor graph

TheOpenAnalyst — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:05:00 +0000

To the right is an interesting, if controversial, graph offered today by Charles Taylor of Sirius Corp. and ZDNet UK.

It is meant to illustrate the costs of “upgrading” from a proprietary to a Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) solution in your IT shop.

The open source sea change and the Taylor graph | Open Source | ZDNet.com

NHIN software released to open-source community

TheOpenAnalyst — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:12:00 +0000

The Federal Health Architecture project released into the public domain the code for Connect, a software gateway that will let organizations outside the federal government share health information via the National Health Information Network.

Any public or private sector organization can download the Connect software and tie into the NHIN once it goes into full production. The source code and its documentation are available at www.connectopensource.org .

NHIN software released to open-source community — Government Health IT

The true cost of migrating to open source

TheOpenAnalyst — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:12:00 +0000

I was hugely entertained by the latest piece of Microsoft spin: apparently the recession is putting a dampener on migrations to open source. Of course, the suggestion is nonsense. In fact, my daily experience flatly contradicts Microsoft’s assertion, but then its marketing is not aimed at me. It is trained on those still inside the proprietary lock-in prison.

That latest piece of Microsoft nonsense makes too easy a target and is not my real focus here. I would rather dig into the true financial story behind migrating to free software.

The true cost of migrating to open source – at ZDNet.co.uk

Red Hat CEO seeks open source in government

TheOpenAnalyst — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 08:05:00 +0000

Image by gocyclones via Flickr

Red Hat’s CEO, in a blog post on Monday, is endorsing the Obama Administration’s call for openness and participation in government by likening the President’s statement to the open source software movement.

Linking to a White House statement in which President Obama calls for transparency, participation, and collaboration in government, Red Hat president/CEO Jim Whitehurst said open source provides an answer to calls for transparency and participation.

Red Hat CEO seeks open source in government – Network World