Open source software (OSS) is not so much the underdog in the IT world, according survey findings announced by Barracuda Networks, a provider of e-mail and Web security appliances. Barracuda polled 288 IT security professionals and found their preferences to be roughly split on the likelihood of deploying OSS versus proprietary software, particularly for applications with similar functionality. The OSS option actually had a small lead in the survey results, with 53 percent expressing a preference for open source versus 47 percent opting for commercial solutions.
The reasons IT professionals favored open source over proprietary software:
- 80% for price
- 57% for availability of code
- 41% for community code reviews
The reasons IT professional favored proprietary software over open source:
- 65% quality of support
- 47% ease of adoption
- 47% automated software updates
Interesting poll, I can certainly see the arguments for both sides, at least consumers now have a viable choice.