2011: The year open source (really) goes capitalist

“If 2010 was the year that taught open source “how to disappear
completely,” 2011 will be the year we’re reminded that “anyone can
play guitar”…or open source. At present, open source is de
rigueur with the underdog class, those vendors seeking to challenge
incumbents like Apple and Oracle.

“But open source will take center stage with industry leaders in
2011, as it already has in the mobile battlefield with Google’s
Android, much to Apple’s chagrin. It’s not just about using open
source to gain market share. It’s also a matter of using open
source to keep regulators at bay. As Funambol CEO Fabrizio
Capobianco rightly points out, open source saved mobile telecom
operators from net neutrality regulations. The FCC decided that
“meaningful recent moves toward openness” largely obviated the need
for more regulation. That’s a message that even the stodgiest of
proprietary players will want to mimic.

“Open source, however, is more art than science. It’s a
non-trivial task to build and sustain communities, which is why in
2011 we’ll see the pace of open source M&A increase. Who is
likely to be bought?”

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