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Europe Is Falling Behind On Open Source

Posted by Zonk on from the pick-up-the-pace dept.

Superentity writes "Computer Business Review is reporting that an official at the European Commission has called on Europe to take a more proactive approach to open source or risk missing out, and outlined steps that European businesses and governments can take to help open source." From the article: "In the US most of the large companies have clear strategies to increase open source in their product lines...In Asia and Latin America, we see that there are many national and regional projects to develop and to work on open source."

3 of 263 comments (clear)

  1. Well they could start by nixing software patents! by earthforce_1 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Or in 10 years open source might well be illegal there.

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    My rights don't need management.
  2. Blah blah blah. by Noogie+Brown · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I don't like the way this article is loaded in such a way as to imply that working toward an open source future is a good thing (tm). Why should Europe be in such a rush to go open source? Maybe by waiting they can assess how other countries have faired with open source and from there make an informed decision about how to proceed. One also has to remember that these developing countries who are moving forward this open source do not have the IT infrastructure already in place, so they have a clean slate to work with. With Europe however, it would mean a costly (in terms of both time and money) switchover.

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    I'm smarter than the average bear.
  3. Our leaders here in Europe are cowards! by RicRoc · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Management in Europe just doesn't have the courage to support Open Source. They hide behind the mantra of: "Nobody ever got fired for choosing IBM".

    I work for the IT department of a large Danish company. We buy exclusively IBM products -- despite the many problems we have with them, and the availability of Open Source alternatives. IBM prices are obscene, but we keep buying them without looking at alternatives.

    We don't need a separate IT industry to support Open Source; we need non-IT companies with IT departments to support them.

    Linus Torvalds and many other prominent Open Source luminaries might be from Europe originally, but where do they work? In the States, mostly. And that is why Europe is behind the Open Source curve: not enough courage in management to choose Open Source and provide a job for the local luminaries. That's why it's dark here.

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