One of the most significant achievements of the open source movement is its ability to spawn innovation. Students, beginners, amateurs, professionals and all those who cannot afford the steeply priced proprietary software’s can use the free to use open source software’s to bring their ideas into action.
Open source technologies have made significant headway into the telecom vertical. By leveraging, the power of the internet to deliver voice and data, telecom companies have used open source technologies to build in -house PBX (Private Branch Exchange) systems. Such PBX systems built on the open source platform help companies to reduce the cost of setting up and maintaining their telecom infrastructure. However, these systems cannot guarantee voice quality and not necessarily free. Open source systems have helped start ups to gain a foothold in the market.
Start up firms would not have been able to withstand the vagaries of the market if they had to pay for the software used by them to build applications. By leveraging the potential of open source technologies, start up firms have developed competencies in niche areas. Large IT giants have recognized the potential of these niche players and their importance to their existing portfolio. The recent acquisition of these niche firms by large technology giants have resulted in a win –win situation for both.
Open source software’s have increased the cost effectiveness of outsourcing initiatives undertaken by various companies in the west. The popularity of LAMP (Linux, apache, mysql.php) architecture has led to the development of database driven websites and applications by vendors in low cost locations.
Since open source software’s allow the users to modify the source code according to their convenience, more and more organizations are looking to use them in designing their ERP system. ERP was one domain in which open source technologies had not made any significant headway. ERP is often referred to as the final frontier for Open source Technologies. Earlier, the perception about Open source systems was that they are not very secure; most organizations did not give much weightage to it. However, rising cost pressures have led to organizations looking for open source alternatives in ERP.
Open Source technologies have also made a huge impact on the E-learning industry as they have helped in lowering the cost of delivery for e-learning vendors. By leveraging the combined power of the internet and open source technologies, e-learning systems have helped in the growth of the instructional design industry in the emerging markets of Asia and Africa.
