subject: Open Source Software In Enterprise Application Infrastructure Market - Aarkstore Enterprise [print this page] Introduction Introduction
Open Source Software (OSS) has been a part of the IT market for over two decades. Recently, the commoditization of IT markets, changing attitudes to the production and distribution of intellectual property, and the recession have put the OSS firmly in focus, particularly in the application infrastructure part of the stack.
Scope
*Defines OSS and sets it in the context of long-term enterprise application infrastructure market trends.
*Discusses development, licensing and business model trends associated specifically with OSS in the application infrastructure market.
*Maps out the complex competitive landscape for OSS application infrastructure, comprising a patchwork of vendors and non-for-profit bodies.
Highlights
Driven by the ongoing commoditization of IT and the shifting attitudes to IP creation and distribution, OSS is certainly not a new trend. Against the backdrop of the global recession, IT vendors and enterprises alike are looking to the OSS application infrastructure technologies to solve their current challenges.
As a technology paradigm predicated upon a specific IP regime that ensures the freedom to obtain, inspect, modify and distribute code, OSS has evolved into a compelling production and distribution model particularly apposite for the delivery of flexible, modular and cost-effective enterprise application infrastructure.
Ovum concludes that OSS is now an integral component of the enterprise application infrastructures market. While the adoption of application infrastructure OSS is set to rise, its stakeholders have to contend with specific set of challenges such as increased competition between OSS projects or deeply entrenched procurement practices.
Reasons to Purchase
*Gain a clear, detailed and comprehensive insight of the OSS application infrastructure technologies.
*Identify dominant market trends in order to evaluate opportunities and threats created by the proliferation of OSS in application infrastructure.
Table of Contents :
Introduction 2
Application infrastructure: the next horizon for OSS 2
OSS model adapted to the applications infrastructure market 3
Distinct licensing, development and business model patterns 3
GNU/Linux is associated with copyleft, communal development and services 4
Application infrastructure OSS diversity in licensing and business models 4
The principal reasons for the diversity are complexity and specialization 6
OSS in the application infrastructure highlights the shift from gratis to libre 6
The variation is a challenge for vendors and enterprises alike 7
OSS influence spreads from the bottom of the stack upwards 7
OSS is making in-roads in the middle layer of the technology stack 8
ADOPTION DRIVERS 11
Maturation of the technology 11
Standardization creates space in which OSS can thrive 11
Maturation proceeds through incremental product development 11
Vendors can exercise positive influence on maturation of OSS projects 12
New economics of IT exposed by the recession 12
Flight to OSS application infrastructure is not just about cost 12
Slow recovery will sustain the push toward OSS adoption 13
Enterprise application infrastructure will be at the forefront of OSS adoption 13
Just enough complexity to solve business problems 13
Complexity of the proprietary products renders OSS attractive 13
Enterprises seek lightweight solution to satisfy core requirements 14
Simplicity emerges as the competitive factor in OSS infrastructure 14
Can OSS drive technology innovation? 14
OSS is still perceived as inherenty incapable of innovating 14
Capabilities exclusive to OSS products are increasingly frequent 15
OSS innovates through commoditization and componentization 16
ADOPTION INHIBITORS 17
Competition with proprietary models 17
Feature gap with proprietary technologies continues 17
Lack of features could well be used as a differentiator 18
Architecture and feature match ought to be the primary requirements 18
Features are a weak source of differentiation against OSS competitors 18
Hybrid business models depend on management of differentiating features 19
Stickiness of proprietary software 20
Incumbent proprietary technologies are resilient to change 20
Application infrastructure platforms are proving hard to replace 20
Proprietary vendors adopt tactics that imitate the OSS model 20
Entrenched procurement practices are the inhibitor to adoption 21
OSS adoption will not be driven by mandated procurement practices alone 21
OSS application infrastructure vendors need to engage business constituents 22
Cloud computing and OSS application infrastructure 22
OSS and cloud computing are inextricably linked 22
Cloud computing can provide valuable contribution to the OSS communities 23
OSS has to reckon with the shift to cloud computing 23
