The 2009 Future of Open Source Survey revealed that 96 percent of respondents believe that the economy’s turbulence is good for open source software, an increase from 81 percent in 2008. Nearly 80 percent of respondents expect that open source software will make up more than 25 percent of the software purchased in their organization.

According to survey respondents, the top four factors that make open source software attractive include lower acquisition and maintenance costs; superior security; freedom from vendor lock-in; and better quality software.

There are sectors in the overall market that are expected to be the most susceptible to disruption by open source software in the next five years. These sectors include database, operating systems, business intelligence and web content management.

Those sectors that are expected to be least susceptible to disruption by open source software in the next five years include: office productivity, security tools, and ERP/CRM.

The survey also examined perceived barriers to the selection and adoption of open source software. To top three barriers listed by respondents included unfamiliarity with open source solutions, lack of internal technical skills and a lack of formal commercial vendor support.

At the same time, respondents identified business strategies such as subscription based technical support and professional services and consulting that would create the most value for open source vendors.

Vendors operating in the open source space have a unique advantage in this current market as companies still need specific solutions to be able to effectively compete, yet lack all the necessary resources to make it happen. With open source options, these companies can take advantage of the solutions they need without significant investments or commitments to one single provider.