First open source research in Germany and BOEHMERT & BOEHMERT is part of it

Without open source software we would not have smartphones, the Internet would not work and our working environment would be much different. And while freeware, as well as open source software, and the associated movement were largely rejected by the business community in earlier years, open source is now deliberately used in almost all larger companies.

This is the result of the first representative open source research in Germany by the digital association Bitkom and Bitkom Resaerch GmbH. BOEHMERT & BOEHMERT as well as eight other well-known companies were involved in the study as supporters.

According to this Open Source Monitor, two thirds of the companies surveyed deliberately use open source software. 31 per cent even participate in its further development. The high level of acceptance is evident in all sectors, with the retail trade and the automobile industry being particularly open-minded. In contrast, only 21 percent of the companies surveyed also have an open source strategy.

This positive attitude is based on the advantages that 88 percent of the companies see in the use of open source software. The most important reason cited is the saving of costs by eliminating license fees (17 percent). High security through timely updates, independence, a wide selection of open source components, as well as access to the source code and simple individual adaptations are further impulses for the use of open source software.

In the course of the research, 804 companies with at least 100 employees in Germany were surveyed, selected according to size classes and industries. For a uniform understanding, the definition of the term “open source software” was established at the beginning of each interview.

The complete study by Bitkom can be downloaded from the following link:
Open Source Monitor – Research report 2019