“Open source software is becoming the most interesting `new’
phenomenon of the entire information technology landscape,
generating a level of interest similar to that of the first moments
of the Internet. However, as we will show in this document, the
open source software phenomenon is not historically new, although
in recent years it has reached a critical mass, which has allowed
it to enter the mainstream software market.”
“The impact of open source technology is expected to be quite
noticeable in the software industry, and in society as a whole. It
allows for novel development models, which have already been
demonstrated to be especially well suited to efficiently take
advantage of the work of developers spread across all corners of
the planet. It also enables completely new business models, which
are shaping a network of groups and companies based on open source
software development. And it has, in general, a very positive
impact as an enabler for the creation of new markets and business
opportunities.”
“Despite these facts, many people think that the open source
movement is merely another temporary fashion in the software
industry. On the contrary, many other believe that changes caused
by open source will be so deep that they will completely shape the
software industry of the first decade of the 21st centuy. This
document tries to provide some facts, opinions and references, so
that the reader can decide if all of this is just nonsense, or if
it deserves more and better study and consideration.“