"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."
