The Next Set of Open Source Waves

I have written about my viewpoint of open source technology and how it is transforming the IT industry. Well, I am glad that this mentality or at least thought process is becoming mainstream. I really like the angle that InfoWorld has put on this in the article "Who are the Losers, Now That Open Source is Winning?".

What is even more ironic is how Microsoft has approached the Mozilla foundation to collaborate on future projects. This is just more evidence that open source is a strategic aspect of any company working in the IT industry. You can no longer ignore open source if you want to remain viable in the future.

The success of Google, Yahoo, Amazon, EBay, SalesForce.com, RedHat, JBoss... are case studies for businesses built on open source technology. Getting back to who is winning and the next set of waves, the InfoWorld article above makes a pretty good assessment of the current state of open source vs. proprietary technology in the IT field. The bottom line is for the next few years there will be peaceful coexistence. After that the two will be on a head on collision course and if you are not a player with or in open source technology, you will probably not be doing business successfully in the future.

As always in this business, time will tell and we are always just another major breakthrough away from a complete disruptive technology shift. So far this year, I think the cards are playing in favor of open source and its increasing critical importance to the IT industry.