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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.
(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.)
(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.