Bruno von Rotz

Open source software in 2006 was characterized by continuous, sometimes subtle advances, and also by a few key individual developments. The impact and attributes of these changes can be summed up in 10 trends. (1) Closed Source Embraces Open Source Oracle's announcement on October 25 that it would start to provide support for Red Hat Linux triggered a small earthquake that put Red Hat's stock price under pressure. While implementing this plan could be more complex than Oracle might have envisioned, the announcement highlights one of several reasons for the attraction of open source technologies: the appealing offerings they provide customers, as demonstrated in this case of newly generated competition even in support services. By comparison, the impact of the agreement between Microsoft and Novell regarding the use and interoperability of SUSE Linux and Microsoft Win... (more)

Enterprise Open Source for Corporate IT

Selecting open source software is often bewildering for corporate IT departments accustomed to commercial closed source software. Of all the choices, which ones are likely to meet business and technology requirements? The Enterprise Open Source Directory (www.eosdirectory.com) helps companies find the gems they need. Open source software continues to gain momentum worldwide. Low costs, high quality, and unprecedented flexibility make more and more IT decision makers favor open source over traditional packaged software. Access to bug tracking systems, development team discussions... (more)