Large Organisations Turn To Free Software
Around half of large organisations (51%) will deploy more enterprise-wide free software in 2010, according to new research.
The trend is partly driven by the pressure on enterprise IT budgets; with two thirds of CIOs saying their budget is the same – or less – than in 2009.
The research also shows that three quarters (76%) of large organizations already use free software across the enterprise. Indeed, over half (54%) of large organisations use more than 10 different free software products. The findings are based on interviews with 400 CIOs from organisations with over 1000 employees across the U.S. (300 CIOs) and the UK (100 CIOs).
The most deployed piece of free software is Adobe Reader which is used by 78% of organisations (at an enterprise or departmental level), with Java Runtime Environment and Adobe Flash Player completing the top three. QuickTime, OpenOffice, Google Docs, Skype and Microsoft Save as PDF also make the top 10 most used free software applications.
The main driver for using free software, cited by 47% of CIOs, is to complement existing desktop applications to extend functionality to users that could not be provided using paid-for software. The replacement of Adobe Acrobat was cited by 38% of CIOs, while 24% are looking to free software to replace Microsoft Office.
Free software is a critical part of large organisations’ IT strategies. Large organisations are perfectly prepared to use free software where possible, and upgrade to a full paid-for version of the product where it makes sense for them.
Free software is used throughout organisations but is most prevalent at the desktop (82%) and application level (78%), although 35% of large organisations are also deploying free software within the data centre.
Gary Fry
Gary Fry is Chief Executive Officer, Global Graphics Software. He guides the strategy behind the company’s approach to customers, markets and products. Before joining Global Graphics Gary spent seven years at Adobe Systems, occupying a number of roles. In 2002 he was enterprise sales director and then EMEA, before being appointed managing director for enterprise, Northern Europe, in 2004. Gary became manager of Adobe Systems Benelux in 2005. Prior to his service at Adobe, Gary also held various sales and management positions in the IT industry including European sales manager for Catalyst Solutions, a leading provider of enterprise-wide IT solutions, and head of industrial support sales for Oracle. He also spent nine years with IBM, in engineering and sales roles.
Gary Fry is Chief Executive Officer, Global Graphics Software. He guides the strategy behind the company’s approach to customers, markets and products. Before joining Global Graphics Gary spent seven years at Adobe Systems, occupying a number of roles. In 2002 he was enterprise sales director and then EMEA, before being appointed managing director for enterprise, Northern Europe, in 2004. Gary became manager of Adobe Systems Benelux in 2005. Prior to his service at Adobe, Gary also held various sales and management positions in the IT industry including European sales manager for Catalyst Solutions, a leading provider of enterprise-wide IT solutions, and head of industrial support sales for Oracle. He also spent nine years with IBM, in engineering and sales roles. ...less info
