The CENATIC Foundation released a report in 2010 on the International Status of Open Source Software. The objective of this report was to understand the role played by open source software (OSS) in the Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) sector around the world, and to highlight its economic and social impact, on both advanced economies and emerging countries. According to the report, the United States, Australia and the Western European countries lead the development and adoption of open source software. The level of OSS adoption and development in India, China and Brazil is higher than expected, considering their level of IS advancement.
"In the Pacific region, Australia stands out as one of the countries with the highest degree of open source software adoption in the world, thanks to its active communities of OSS developers who participate in international projects. The universities also play a very important role in both training qualified ICT personnel and participating in OSS projects. The Australian business sector spends a significant part of its R&D budget on OSS projects, which results in the country having a large subsector of open source software companies within the ICT sector and in the presence of OSS centers of excellence in the country. This is accompanied by a policy of support by the government, which has encouraged the adoption of OSS by the public sector."
"Members of the many 'Open' Communities that have come into being understand that open source software is an effective strategy for improving the processes of technology research, development and innovation, making it possible to establish viable business models and win-win relationships that promote collaboration." The open source software development model that has emerged and begun to mature is a globalizing model in which players use the Internet to take part in many successful projects in a cooperative environment, regardless of the nationality of the player or the project.
Time magazine last week bemoaned the fact that the U.S, was losing its global leadership position in many of today's industries. Rather than bemoaning this situation, I would say that the U.S. is simply in the process of transitioning from the Industrial Age into the Information Age, from being a leader in industries tied to the last century to being a leader in industries of the 21st century. The U.S. is still in the process of staking out its leadership role in 'green' technologies, mobile technologies, online education, biotechnology, information & communications technologies, and this includes the arena of collaborative 'open source' software development - a fact highlighted in this report.
* Take a few minutes to download and read the report from the CENATIC Foundation.
I see a bright future ahead for the U.S. What do you see?
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