Mark Driver

Last updated on 5/13/09

Disclaimer: This is pretty much for Gartner clients since non-clients cant actually get to the content. However it should give you a good idea of the open source related material we cover at Gartner nonetheless.  I’ll update this blog entry from time to time so this one is a good bookmark candidate.

We cover the topic of open source in a wide range of research notes but the fastest way to find the latest and greatest is just by searching the website for title and subject. Be sure to include “archived” research to get some of the older – but still viable – research pieces.

Here are a few links to research directly related to open source software on Gartner.com.  This is by NO means a complete list – far from it actually – you will find a lot more directly on the Gartner website.

Learn the Basic Principles of Open-Source Software contains the official Gartner definition of open source and is our basic primer on the topic.

Establish an Enterprise Open-Source Policy to Maximize Value and Minimize Risk outlines a number of key best practices in establishing a policy to successfully adopt and manage OSS in the enterprise.

NEW Findings: Vendor Mergers and Acquisitions Have a Limited Impact on Open-Source Efforts is a quick note that discusses the level of impact vendor acquisitions have on open source projects.

The State of Open Source, 2008 was a LARGE special report we did last year covering a wide number of topics related to open source.  We’ll continue the effort in ‘09 but plan on breaking into smaller (more digestible) pieces throughout the year.

Predicts 2009: The Evolving Open-Source Software Model is the latest version of our annual report that outlines some key predictions for open source over the coming year or so.

Every year we publish a “Key Issues” note that describes our research focus for open source.  We are updating that now for 2009 but Key Issues for Open-Source Software, 2008 is pretty up-to-date as well.

Findings: Yes, You Can Save Money With Open-Source Software is a short note outlining some important factors if you plan to leverage open source in hopes of saving money.

My colleague Laurie Wurster and others track the impact of open source of commercial software markets.

• Forecast: Open-Source Impact on Infrastructure Software, Worldwide and Regional, 2007-2012
• Forecast: Open-Source Impact on Application Software, Worldwide and Regional, 2007-2012

User Survey Analysis: Open-Source Software, Worldwide, 2008 has some great feedback directly from open source users that shows some very interesting trends in adoption.