Options for Enterprise Open Source Applications Continue to Grow
Online tools and collaborative groups are giving enterprises more tools than ever for using open source applications.
Simply banning open-source probably isn't an option, however. As just one example, software development researcher Evans Data's numbers have shown an almost 200% increase in use of MySQL by database developers since 2001 -- from 16.4% to 48.5%. And as large open-source projects such as the Eclipse development environment gain steam, the temptation to download and use the tools -- rather than wait weeks for a purchase order to clear accounting -- will do nothing but increase.
But like anything in IT, the best way to approach open-source is with a plan, with skepticism and with the understanding that you're going to need to roll up your sleeves.
"The more you put into something, the more you get out of it," says Mike Milinkovich, executive director of the Eclipse Foundation. "Open-source is no different."
