While fastidiously avoiding use of the F-word [i.e. freedom], the European Commission has published a very long report on the impact of open source software and hardware on technological independence, competitiveness and innovation in the EU economy. Open hardware is also covered.
This study analyses the economic impact of Open Source Software (OSS) and Hardware (OSH) on the European economy. It was commissioned by the European Commission's DG CONNECT.
It is estimated that companies located in the EU invested around €1 billion in OSS in 2018, which resulted in an impact on the European economy of between €65 and €95 billion. The analysis estimates a cost-benefit ratio of above 1:4 and predicts that an increase of 10% of OSS contributions would annually generate an additional 0.4% to 0.6% GDP as well as more than 600 additional ICT start-ups in the EU. Case studies reveal that by procuring OSS instead of proprietary software, the public sector could reduce the total cost of ownership, avoid vendor lock-in and thus increase its digital autonomy. The study also contains an analysis of existing public policy actions in Europe and around the world.
Back in 2006, Rishab Aiyer Ghosh prepared a similar report for UNU-MERIT, Study on the effect on the development of the information society of European public bodies making their own software available as open source, in The Netherlands.
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At the beginning of last year, Manuel Hoffmann, Frank Nagle, and Yanuo Zhou published a working paper on the Value of Open Source Software [PDF] for comment and discussion only.
The value of a non-pecuniary (free) product is inherently difficult to assess. A pervasive example is open source software (OSS), a global public good that plays a vital role in the economy and is foundational for most technology we use today. However, it is difficult to measure the value of OSS due to its non-pecuniary nature and lack of centralized usage tracking. Therefore, OSS remains largely unaccounted for in economic measures. Although prior studies have estimated the supply-side costs to recreate this software, a lack of data has hampered estimating the much larger demand-side (usage) value created by OSS. Therefore, to understand the complete economic and social value of widely-used OSS, we leverage unique global data from two complementary sources capturing OSS usage by millions of global firms. We first estimate the supply-side value by calculating the cost to recreate the most widely used OSS once. We then calculate the demand-side value based on a replacement value for each firm that uses the software and would need to build it internally if OSS did not exist. We estimate the supply-side value of widely-used OSS is $4.15 billion, but that the demand-side value is much larger at $8.8 trillion. We find that firms would need to spend 3.5 times more on software than they currently do if OSS did not exist. The top six programming languages in our sample comprise 84% of the demand-side value of OSS. Further, 96% of the demand-side value is created by only 5% of OSS developers.
The working paper is especially interesting when considered in the context of similar, earlier works such as Ghosh et al in Study on the effect on the development of the information society of European public bodies making their own software available as open source [PDF] published by the European Commission back in 2007. One would think that both sides of the pond would be very interested in this valuable commons and work to not just protect it but cultivate it further, rather than work to saw the legs from under it by advancing software patents instead.
Previously:
(2025) Open Internet Stack: The EU Commission's Vague Plans for Open Source
(2023) The Four Freedoms and The One Obligation of Free Software
(2023) Opinion: FOSS Could be an Unintended Victim of EU Security Crusade
(2021) European Commission's Study on Open Source Software
Netzpolitik has an English language article about the EU Commission's vague plans for open source via its Open Stack programme. An internal paper calls on the Commission to support Free and Open Source Software in public administrations – and think about a new legal form. However, many questions remain open. The crux of the matter, which would be the role open protocols and open standards play in enabling vendor independence, remains unnamed in the article and is almost but not quite named in the acutal report [warning for PDF].
The EU Commission has been funding open source projects for years. A programme called Next Generation Internet (NGI) is central to this by distributing money quickly and without red tape to promising projects – such as the decentralised microblogging service Mastodon, the video software PeerTube or Jitsi for videoconferencing.
But the Commission has been set on ending funding NGI for some time – despite prolonged criticism. Involved organisations have said that NGI works well and efficiently. Open source also plays a key role in protecting Europe from foreign actors – particularly important in the current geopolitical environment.
The Commission responded that the end of NGI is not meant to be the end of its open source funding. That is set to continue under a new name – initially the “Open Europe Stack”, now the “Open Internet Stack”. Important distinction: In spite of the new name, the programme is only indirectly related to the “EuroStack”.
Some of these plans include the EU Commission leading by example through improving procurement and use of Free and Open Source Software in practice. They also include phasing out proprietary and/or overseas services in favor of more local services specifically those which are more amenable to using Free and Open Source Software.
Previously:
(2025) Euro Techies Call for Sovereign Fund to Escape US Dependency
(2022) The EU's AI Act Could Have a Chilling Effect on Open Source Efforts, Experts Warn
(2021) European Commission's Study on Open Source Software
(2018) German Documentary on Relations Between Microsoft and Public Administration Now Available in English
(2014) EU Spending €1M for Security Audit of Open Source
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 12 2021, @12:22AM (3 children)
open everything
(Score: 2, Interesting) by turgid on Sunday September 12 2021, @08:27AM (2 children)
We're living the dream here... or something. We've got more freedumb, dimocracy and British sovereign tea than we know what to do with and we wave our Union Jacks all day long.
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 12 2021, @08:00PM
But nobody to pick the fruit...
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 13 2021, @06:02PM
this brainwashed cunt probably wants more non-whites brought in.
(Score: 5, Informative) by c0lo on Sunday September 12 2021, @12:35AM (21 children)
In fresh news, the city of Munich switches its administration to Linux and LibreOffice...
Uh oh... I was aiming for Funny, but the reality made me just an old news peddler - May 2020: Linux not Windows: Why Munich is shifting back from Microsoft to open source – again [zdnet.com]
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Sunday September 12 2021, @12:55AM (18 children)
Microsoft went to Munich with big guns, lots of money, and bought an election for a mayor who would do their bidding. No secrets there.
We're gonna be able to vacation in Gaza, Cuba, Venezuela, Iran and maybe Minnesota soon. Incredible times.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by c0lo on Sunday September 12 2021, @12:57AM (17 children)
Future tense may likely work too.
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 12 2021, @03:07AM (10 children)
Uh-oh, the universe is off the rails: c0lo seemed civil toward Runaway. Reboot c0lo and see if that fixes it.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday September 12 2021, @04:25AM (6 children)
You don't read too many of my replies to Runaway, do you?
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 12 2021, @10:48AM (5 children)
Any number of your replies read is too many. (large grin?) (just trying to be funny... someone got it above)
You're pretty civil in general. A bit too outspoken about 'murican politics. You really have to live here to get it. Unless you truly think about 1/2 of the population are idiots. In which case, you undermine the concept of democracy. Quite a conundrum, no?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by c0lo on Sunday September 12 2021, @12:07PM (3 children)
And you really have to live outside it for a long while (to unlearn America) to see how bizarre look, for a good part of this world, the excesses that get in the news about American life.
I don't doubt that there's a lot of common sensical and mundane life in US. That's normal, so don't expect it to be mentioned. It's the "excessive different" that picks my interest.
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Monday September 13 2021, @02:06PM (2 children)
Anybody accepting and approving the military lockdown in Australia now should refrain from commenting on anyone else's country for any reason whatsoever.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 13 2021, @06:04PM
colo is a sychophantic bitch.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday September 13 2021, @10:30PM
Agreed. Except there was never a military lockdown in Australia.
It was a public health lockdown with the defence force assisting with the logistics of it [defence.gov.au], no use of force or authority from them. In essence, not much different from US DOD assistance for covid [defense.gov].
They tried to do it with private contractors before - it made the matter worse [abc.net.au].
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 13 2021, @06:19PM
"Unless you truly think about 1/2 of the population are idiots."
Yes
Although sprinkled in are a bunch of opportunistic greedy bastards happy to support liars and thieves as long as they can get theirs and support their wedge issues like guns and control over women. The rest are *dumb as rocks and actually think trump is a good guy.
*brainwashed/dumb, not much difference
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 12 2021, @05:46AM (2 children)
If anything, C0lo goes out of his way to be civil towards Runaway.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 12 2021, @01:56PM
Of course. It's hard to do your job as a foreign troll if people won't listen to you.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 12 2021, @08:02PM
2 douchbags kiss and make up. Ahhhh so fucking nice to see.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by canopic jug on Sunday September 12 2021, @04:05AM
Future tense may likely work too.
The 2006 report was quite well done. This new one from 2021, well it's not such high quality. It took a very long time and a lot of effort to read and I had only skimmed it when I wrote the submission. Shame on me. It turns out to have been a very poor choice. Overall, I was profoundly disappointed in the approach they took this time. There are several errors in the core methodology:
However, the presence of that garbage dressed up as a report is interesting in itself. It means that M$ and the software patent lobby have been able to get one over on the EC, perhaps after having infiltrated it or bought it out.
Money is not free speech. Elections should not be auctions.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday September 12 2021, @12:43PM (4 children)
(Score: 3, Insightful) by c0lo on Sunday September 12 2021, @01:23PM (3 children)
Not like Microsoft is a quick learner, never underestimate the big corporate ineptitude.
How many iterations they went with their WinCE and Windows Phone? They even bough the smart mobile division from Nokia.
I hear they're preparing themselves for a Win8 repeat with Windows 11.
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Sunday September 12 2021, @04:40PM (2 children)
God forbid they buy Munich too!!!! :O
:)
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. I have always been here. ---Gaaark 2.0 --
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday September 12 2021, @05:38PM
Why? Their acquisition strategy proved a failure time and again. Buying the entire Munich and abandoning it after** may finally rid the world on MS.
** Nokia still makes smart phones [nokia.com], I reckon the Bavarians will continue to make beer. Granted it won't be root beer, you'll need to sudo apt-get beer or yum install beer.
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Monday September 13 2021, @02:09PM
It is not hard to understand why MS would want to buy Munich. The properly sized beer mugs [pinimg.com] are reason enough.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 12 2021, @04:22PM
Interesting, I missed that story.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 13 2021, @11:38AM
The city of Munich need a new OS called pendulum OS
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 12 2021, @03:19AM
n/t
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Sunday September 12 2021, @06:07AM
Well, if they're not proud enough to say it, you can always count on Earthicans to do so [youtu.be].
(Score: 5, Interesting) by bzipitidoo on Sunday September 12 2021, @01:05PM (18 children)
With all the advantages of open source, or "libre", I continue to wonder how proprietary software even survives, let alone thrives.
A lot of it is social. People buy into the simplistic idea that "you get what you pay for". Another social aspect is that many people want some heroic figure associated with the software. Not a dude in spandex tights, but a powerful, rich, capitalistic computer and business prodigy kind of a person. They seem to find it reassuring to know that Bill Gates will not allow Windows or MS Office to fail, and has the wherewithal to make it work. Why a person like RMS couldn't also be that to them, I don't quite know, but I suppose it's another social matter, RMS seems too Socialist, even Communist, and they don't understand or trust that. Maybe Linus Torvalds has achieved that status? One of the weirdest things about the business world is that they are relentless about the "bottom line", cutting costs, yet this massive savings to be had from adoption of Libre software, many won't even consider, behaving as if the concept violates the principles of good business. It's all MS Office and PDF.
Another major problem is maintenance and "bit rot". Ideally, it should be possible to finish an app. To reuse code. Write that killer app, and then no one ever needs to rewrite it. But the reality hasn't quite lived up to that.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 12 2021, @02:17PM (3 children)
Because those 25-years-old retro games are still better than Linux games.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by shrewdsheep on Sunday September 12 2021, @07:30PM
Quoting a friend:
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Monday September 13 2021, @02:11PM
You've clearly never played TuxRacer. Penguins *can* fly [youtube.com].
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 13 2021, @04:54PM
My old game collection runs better on Linux than it ever did on Windows.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Rich on Sunday September 12 2021, @02:39PM (3 children)
None of this hero stuff. Just follow the money. For the entrenched stuff at large clients, it's breadcrumbs off the monopolists plate. Everyone along the supply chain gets to modestly line their pockets if nothing changes. And they make sure it stays that way.
When there is no supply chain with "system houses" or "certified qualitications" and that stuff, break-ins DO happen if enough grunt-work ends up in the FLOSS to make it bearable. Blender and Krita have made it in their narrow fields, and Altium have their pants filled to the belt with shit because of how KiCAD moves forward (as could be witnessed by some recent YT influencer stuff that was so super embarassing that it made clear they have no idea what to do).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 12 2021, @05:09PM (2 children)
As someone a little bit out of the loop and doesn't know what you're talking about here, could you briefly summarize what you're referring to?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 12 2021, @06:09PM
KiCAD is a FLOSS tool for PCB design. Altium is a commercial vendor of PCB design software.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Rich on Sunday September 12 2021, @08:34PM
As the other reply stated, this is about PCB design. Altium is sort of the major corporate choice, expensive. KiCAD is a free project and growing. They were able to get out of the "typical FLOSS crap" hole mostly due to CERN backing and with that momentum got a commercial entity backing and improving it. Not too long, the Altium user attitude about KiCAD was about "nice toy you have there, really great, but now we have to actually work, so let's all kick that in the garbage can and get back to business". In the meantime, KiCAD got good enough for about 98% of Altium jobs - but also vice versa. Much of the recent RasPi stuff is done on KiCAD, to give an example.
So Altium see the writing on the wall, get into panic mode and pay a formerly somewhat respected influencer, which I intentionally don't name here, on YT to effectively produce commercials on how to start designing with Altium. They must also have made some "first fix is free" version to go with that. And that guy did some really simple stuff aimed at non-professionals. I just thought "how low can you go???". Without even considering the entirely senseless promotion of lock-in with subscription, you'd have done all of that in KiCAD in the time it would take for the Altium license agreement to scroll by. Pathetic.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday September 12 2021, @04:42PM (7 children)
No one wants to be responsible for anything. If Microsoft screws things up, and eats your data, you have someone to blame. If your own in-house software screws things up, then you are responsible. All the years of FUD from Microsoft makes that even worse. Add in the nonsense that if you make any changes to FOSS, you have to pass those changes back to the community. (FACT: you can do whatever the hell you want to do with FOSS, in-house. You don't have to contribute any of it back to FOSS, unless and until you distribute your in-house version to customers and/or the public.)
We're gonna be able to vacation in Gaza, Cuba, Venezuela, Iran and maybe Minnesota soon. Incredible times.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 12 2021, @05:13PM (4 children)
I agree with this as the management line of thought, but I always found it strange. If Microsoft eats my data, the usual response for almost anyone I know over the last 30 years has been "aw shit, Microsoft ate my data!" and that's it. It was never like there was anything to do about it beyond bitch and cry, not like Microsoft was going to do anything about it or provide any remediation.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Dr Spin on Sunday September 12 2021, @08:02PM
It was never like there was anything to do about it beyond bitch and cry, not like Microsoft was going to do anything about it or provide any remediation.
Indeed
You can be quietly confident that MS will continue to eat the rest of your data, without so much as a burp. It will probably leak it too.
Warning: Opening your mouth may invalidate your brain!
(Score: 5, Insightful) by sjames on Monday September 13 2021, @01:44AM (2 children)
That's the odd thing about the corporate blame game. It starts out being vitally important that someone gets reamed, so the blame gets tossed around hot potato like. If the timer goes off, someone gets fired. Otherwise it keeps going until someone manages to toss it out the window. Then somehow, the never-ending thirst for blood goes away and it just isn't worth the trouble.
Reason number 253 why I may laugh uncontrollably if you claim that the private sector is efficient and run by mature adults.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 13 2021, @03:52PM (1 child)
Ah, so I suppose the brilliance of using Microsoft then is if you are the last one holding the potato, you can say "It's Microsoft's fault, they ate the data!"
(Score: 2) by sjames on Tuesday September 14 2021, @02:05AM
Exactly, toss it out the window in the direction of Redmond.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Dr Spin on Sunday September 12 2021, @08:04PM (1 child)
You don't have to contribute any of it back to FOSS, unless and until you distribute your in-house version to customers and/or the public.
You don't have to.
You don't have to contribute any of it back to FOSS, unless and until you distribute your in-house version to customers and/or the public.
But then again, if you do, others will support it for free without you even lifting a finger (or, quite possible, even writing legible documentation).
Warning: Opening your mouth may invalidate your brain!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 12 2021, @08:07PM
And then the shipment of pink ponies arrives and everyone gets one. EVERYONE.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 12 2021, @08:47PM
Some software is so dull, and/or so tedious to maintain, that literally no one would write such a thing unless paid to. When a business needs such a thing but does not have in-house programmers to make it in a cost-efficient way on their own, it is a market opportunity for a proprietary offering.
(Score: 2) by DECbot on Monday September 13 2021, @03:00PM
The reason businesses haven't switched is liability. When your software breaks in a way that makes your business tank, you want to be able to go after the software vendor. That's the real reason ms and oracle have such lethal legal teams, to protect themselves from their customers. RedHat and Canonical provide some liability protection for businesses, but it is clear the they aren't responsible for upstream bugs--they will mitigate but most of the code is just curated, not produced by RH or Canonical.
cats~$ sudo chown -R us /home/base