"Then there were folks like many of us in the Linux Foundation and other open source-friendly organizations who said that when wallets are getting pinched, companies are going to be looking harder for better value and lower prices. Such a crisis would be enough to shake the status quo and get IT departments looking to save not only their jobs, but their companies as well.
"I am one of those people, but I have to admit that after a few months of watching companies batten themselves up like residents in front of a hurricane, I was beginning to wonder if indeed businesses would see the light in time.
"One ray of hope came Monday, when Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research posted his economic to-do list for US President-Elect barack Obama. Number six on his list? "Funding for the Development of Open Software."
