Box 1 Future of Open source – What’s next?
So where does it all end? How exactly will open source shape our lives leading us to a better tomorrow? It is for certain that with this level of growth and progress, we expect to see open source as the driving force of the software industry in the next few years. The freedom that we get with open source software is unmatched by proprietary software, which will be the ultimate reason for the success of open source. Knowledge can only increase with sharing, not by concealing valuable information within the four walls of a multibillion dollar organization. This is where open source wins. This is why, open source is the way of the future.
The expected growth of open source software and its projected usage in the next few years can be evaluated in multiple categories of software, all of which have a different picture to offer.
On the desktop, open source software will be a major player. With powerful versions of gnu Linux already there in the market and much better support than ever, with people asking for more power and more freedom, where cost effective solutions are valued above everything else, we expect the user base of open source desktop applications to greatly increase and ultimately end the current monopoly of proprietary software.
Open source software is already suited to restricted functionality desktops, such as those used in industry for travel bookings; and in these areas Open source software’s market share is likely to grow significantly.
We expect Open source software to rapidly become the market leader in providing software for consumer computing devices such as set top boxes and digital video recorders.
Observing the current market trends, it can be predicted that the market for new portable and consumer computing devices (like smart mobile phones) will remain monopoly free with no single market leader. However, open source software is likely to be a significant player in this market.
The position of Open source software in large servers (e.g. those managing massive multi-user databases) will grow from its current position of relatively low share, to a position where Open source software will be a viable option.
It is predicted that 50% of the volume of the software infrastructure market could be taken by Open source software. We expect that open source software’s position in the small server market (file servers and Web servers) will grow fastest.
The software infrastructure that is implemented on top of operating systems (also known as middleware) should move gradually from proprietary products towards open source software.
Open source will give power to the people, not just one single organization. This way we will have a diverse inflow of intellectual energy into the software development market and be free of the restricted views and self oriented goals of a proprietary software company. Open source software is for the people, by the people and of the people. The victory of open source is not just expected, it is inevitable.
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Future of Open Source
So where does it all end? How exactly will open source shape our lives leading us to a better tomorrow? It is for certain that with this level of growth and progress, we expect to see open source as the driving force of the software industry in the next few years.
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Is Open Source a thing of the future?
No; Not at all. That’s as bad as saying we don’t have birds flying around. It’s not about having a different perspective here, it’s just a fact. Open source is here. Look around you, look at the browser you’re using, or the mail client you have open, the backend components of the website you’re browsing or maybe even the operating system you might be on.
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