Why Open Source Is Becoming the Top Choice for Enterprise Security and Innovation

In the past decade open‑source software (OSS) has grown explosively, especially in the enterprise sector, with startups and venture capital driving fierce competition.

According to an Infoworld survey, 78% of respondents use OSS in their business, two‑thirds develop client applications on OSS, and participation in OSS projects rose from 50% to 64%; 88% say they will contribute to OSS in the next three years.

OSS has become the dominant force in enterprise application development and deployment, with many technology decision‑makers abandoning proprietary software in favor of open source.

Beyond cost savings, OSS now offers strategic benefits, returning control over IT architecture and pricing to CTOs and CIOs, prompting even former proprietary giants like Microsoft to embrace open‑source projects.

Black Duck’s research shows OSS is reshaping enterprise IT management and security:

1. 58% say OSS provides the best scalability; 43% find OSS deployment far easier than proprietary software. 2. 55% believe OSS solutions are more secure, and 61% will vote for OSS in security decisions over the next two‑three years. 3. 45% would prioritize OSS when evaluating internal security technologies. 4. The three technology areas most impacted by OSS in the next 2‑3 years are cloud computing (39%), big data (35%) and operating systems (33%).