"Oracle Corp.'s recent $5.85 billion purchase of CRM giant Siebel Systems Inc. and the greater trend toward consolidation in the proprietary business applications market could translate to attractive deals on software support packages for chief information officers willing to consider the open source alternatives.
"Michael Goulde, an analyst with Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester Research Inc., said those possible savings stem from the fact that open source applications vendors like SugarCRM and Compiere ERP tend to view mergers among proprietary competitors as an opportunity to woo potential new clients--clients who might be unhappy or uncertain about the direction their current supplier has taken..."
