For the last 15 years, North Bridge and Black Duck Software have joined efforts every year to conduct a survey about the use of open source in modern business. A record 1,300 people responded to the survey, up from 822 in 2013. Respondents included software engineers, CIO’s, CEO’s, educators, analysts, and more. There is little that has changed in open source trends, and this survey demonstrates the continued pervasive expansion of open source.
Here are some notable findings from this year’s survey:
Enterprise Use/Participation
- 78% of companies run on open source, and less than 3% don’t use FOSS at all.
- 64% of respondents said their company currently participates in open source projects, up 14% YOY.
- 88% expect their companies to increase open source contributions, up from 56% last year.
- 66% consider OSS to be the default option before proprietary.
Open Source Advantage
- 50% said open source involvement helps their company recruit top talent.
- 55% said open source delivers better security
- 89% said open source greatly impacts the speed of innovation
- 78% said open source improves margins
What Needs Improvements
- 55% have no policies or procedures for open source compliance.
- 27% have a formal policy for employee contributions to OSS.
- 16% have an automated code approval process.
