I was adding connections and updating details on my profile at linkedin when I saw this question by Richard Ortega:
Open source or proprietary? OSS v. MS
Open source or proprietary solutions? Which markets, industries, or companies do you see implementing or rejecting open source in the near future (3-5yrs)? Also which regions (globally) do you believe will have increased/decreased interest in open source?
This is also a question to get business artichects/IT professionals who use open source or Microsoft together.
I answered:
Broad adoption of open source software across all sectors of the global economy is inevitable. Smart companies are finding ways to leverage its power. One of those companies is Microsoft.
Organisations adopting open source software are discovering they have a true competitive advantage as they redefine how to leverage investment in IT.
For the foreseeable future, true interoperability will be the key to success as people learn to mix open source and proprietary solutions to meet their specific needs. Vendor lock-in just isn't going to work as more people question the business models of the old economy and refuse to cede sovereignty of their data to external software companies.
Open Source software is helping under-resourced regions leap frog into the 21st century - if the first world misses the boat, they'll be left behind.
