“If you look at the progress of Open Source products you can
gradually see a complete software stack coming in to place.
However, a quick analysis will reveal that there are currently many
gaps in the stack (as there are in every software stack)–most of
them are happily filled with good proprietary products. The
pressure that Open Source is putting on the market is gradually
becoming clear. Open Source products can and do establish
themselves in areas where products have tended to become
commoditised and not much further innovation can be expected. This
is where Open Source eventually wins hands down. Open Source can
establish itself in other areas, if it gets solid backing from a
major vendor–but the vendor has to find a viable revenue stream as
IBM has with Apache and Linux and CA is attempting to do with
Ingres…”