The Biggest Open Source Trends of the Year

Open Source is making a huge impact on the business world. It isn’t just a simple trend picking up momentum, it is challenging the way technology is being used.

Almost all small, mid and large-sized enterprises today make use of open source technology. We have seen its full force use in data centers, tool development and product development and its quick market release. We have also seen companies customizing open source to deploy new products and services.

Its growth seems to come from firms that are actively contributing to opens source platforms by collaborating in innovative projects and creating new markets. The biggest example of growth contribution is Facebook’s 400+ free projects for businesses across the globe (such as React). Although Open Source development has become a trend in itself, we are looking back at the biggest Open Source trends of the year 2016 as a way of seeing what to expect for 2017.

Cost Reduction

Linux made a huge move towards cost reductions with its set of unique legacy systems such as HP-UX, UNIX, Solaris etc. As well as Hadoop’s move in Big Data which is making other big data players such as Oracle and IBM feel a little pinch. The fact that many of companies started offering software applications for free or in open source form has really propelled enterprises towards open source even more.

Spending millions and millions dollars on software products from giants like IBM and Oracle doesn’t’ seem to be a cost-effective strategy anymore when there are now resources that are much cheaper, they just need to have coders or programmers tweak the code a bit.

Leading the Market

Open Source isn’t just an efficient way of pitching services/products or managing other business entities. Rather it is also a way to lead the market with innovative ideas and strategies. We saw companies use OS platforms instead of other proprietary sources such as Cloud or Big Data to come up with new ways of enhancing in-house operations and customer services. We believe this tend will continue with open source technology taking over many other aspects of businesses.

Innersourcing

The term Innersourcing was coined by Tim O’Reilly, who is also credited to making the terms open source and web 2.0 popular. Innersourcing was the mantra of 2016. Because of it entrepreneurs now know what OSS can really do. That is why we saw inner sourcing investments skyrocket this year. It actually allows companies to run and manage teams of developers for effective collaboration, development and management of OSS-based solutions all from within their company.

Companies can now create a project and have developers within the company contribute and enhance it to meet successful goals and visions. Tools for collaboration within companies such as Jira, Jenkins, GitHub and others are now common these days. Surprisingly so, some big companies like PayPal and others like Autodesk were and continue to be propellers of this innersourcing concept.

New Business Models

OSS has managed to rise to the top as the most preferable business technology because it is created, contributed and backed by a large group of professionals across the globe. Besides free advice and support extended by a network of professionals, there are some firms that see OSS as a new business service model. There is a trend growing of firms that provide premium support for companies that are using or will use OSS for their new products or services. Cost-effective support services has made enterprises fall in love with OSS even more. This save them a great deal of money and time as well.

Recruiting Tech Talent

An OSS project can grow to perfection with collaboration and contribution from experts. This type of collaboration has given companies the opportunity streamline their recruitment by being able to pick from a pool of expert contributors.

By contributing to the development of a project, professionals can showcase their talent and attract other companies. Moreover, it becomes an added advantage for tech firms to hire such talents. Recruitment can help the companies promote themselves on OSS platforms, dominate the market and lead in their sphere business.

OSS Security Investment

We also saw the trend of firms investing in securing their OSS-based projects grow this year. Due to the sheer volume and vulnerability of code companies began investing more in making their mission-critical projects safe. They did so by moving to more secure business lines, getting funded and framing security initiatives. For instance, BlackDuck provides open source management and security solutions for firms. With BlackDuck, enterprises can easily mitigate and manage their OSS security risks and move on with their project with confidence.

Open Source Tech Specialists @ IbleSoft

IbleSoft has always been at the forefront of what’s new in Open Source Technology. Our team of developers are experts in developing and managing OSS projects. We know about the latest trends and can contribute to all of them. With Iblesoft as your resource you can cut costs, lead the market and build a new business model.

Our consultants can help you create innovative OSS solutions for your business. While our expert developers are available for hire if you have a specific team in mind for your project. Our Open Source development services also include security and management so you can build with confidence.

We are experts in Open Source Office Productivity Suites, OS Finance and Accounting Applications, ERP Software Systems, CRM Systems, CMS Systems, Ecommerce Tools among many others. Iblesoft assures reliable services for every single client. Learn more about our services by visiting the new Iblesoft website.

New Year, New Trends…so get ahead this year and contact us!