2022 Open Source Report Overview: Motivations for OSS Adoption
Understanding the ebb and flow of open source software trends can be difficult. Every year we see a new wave of innovative new open source technologies, and every year we see the gradual decline of old favorites. Even the reasons why organizations are adopting these technologies are in constant flux.
In our 2022 State of Open Source Report, we look at the top technologies and trends that are shaping open source software. More importantly, we try and find the "why" behind these changes. In this blog, we provide an overview of some of the key findings from our new report, including details on the expanded use of open source software, why open source adoption is on the rise, and the top obstacles teams are facing in using open source today.
- About the 2022 State of Open Source Report
- Open Source Adoption and Expansion in 2021
- Top Concerns for Open Source Adoption in 2022
- Why Organizations Are Using Open Source Software in 2022
- Final Thoughts
- Access the Full Report
About the 2022 State of Open Source Report
The 2022 State of Open Source Report from OpenLogic by Perforce and the Open Source Initiative (OSI) provides data on the most popular open source technologies used today, and sheds light on the benefits and barriers organizations experience when adopting open source software.
The report covers the most important open source software technologies used today – ranging from infrastructure technologies and programming languages to DevOps tooling and Artificial Intelligence technologies. The report also looks at open source maturity and strategy indicators that provide insight into the trajectory of open source and broader technology strategies for organizations around the world.
Download the Full 2022 State of Open Source Report
Get access to the full, 77-page report today by clicking the button below.
Respondents Demographics and Firmographics
The 2022 State of Open Source Report is based on an anonymous survey conducted between November 30, 2021, and January 6, 2022. It targeted professionals around the world working with open source software in their organizations. The survey received a total of 2,660 responses from respondents from all
To help segment and analyze the survey results, we asked respondents basic demographic and firmographic questions, including their company vertical, size, and region.
Company Size
Company size was a nearly even split, with healthy representation from companies of all sizes.
Region
While the survey did reach nearly every region of the globe, respondents were primarily from the North American region.
What We Asked and Why
In this year's survey, we continued our focus on open source technology adoption, with sections studying the adoption of open source technologies used in infrastructure, programming languages / runtimes, frameworks, data layer, SDLC and build, automation / orchestration, CI/CD, and artificial intelligence.
We also asked about the open source priorities and strategies of respondents, with further questions on overall open source maturity and stewardship.
By asking these questions alongside the above demographic/firmographic questions, we were able to get a meaningful glimpse into how companies around the world are using and contributing to open source software.
Open Source Adoption and Expansion in 2022
One of the best measuring sticks for any technology type is how many people expanded their use of that technology type in the past year. Our survey found that 77% increased the use of OSS in the past year, with 36% reporting that they increased use significantly.
76% of respondents increased the use of open source software in the past year, and only 1.6% decreased their use of open source software.
Open Source Adoption by Niche
While open source may have gained popularity with programming languages and operating systems, it now has a widespread presence in nearly every corner of IT infrastructure. Our survey backed that assumption, with respondents reporting use of open source software in everything from operating systems to observability tools.
Top Concerns for Open Source Adoption in 2022
Even with organizations expanding their use of open source in 2021, continuing that expansion in 2022 means facing both old and emerging challenges. The most prominent challenge? The lack of internal skills to test, use and support open source software.
- Lack of internal skills to test, use, integrate, and support
- Restrictions in some open source licenses
- It doesn’t scale as well as proprietary software
- There’s no real-time support
- I don’t have any reservations
30% of respondents reported lack of internal expertise as the top barrier to using open source software.
Why Organizations Are Using Open Source Software in 2022
It's no secret that open source software fuels innovation for companies of all sizes, but it hasn't always been the biggest factor in using open source. This year, we found that it was, with nearly 40% of companies reporting innovation as the top factor for using open source software.
Final Thoughts
The 2022 State of Open Source Report presents a unique and comprehensive look into the state of open source software. By collaborating with the Open Source Initiative, we were able to reach new audiences and generate the most complete report we've ever done.
This overview is just the start when it comes to the interesting insights and findings found in the report. Be sure to download it below, and stay tuned for more content and analysis in the coming weeks and months.
Download the Full Report
Get a full breakdown of the data above, plus an additional 50 pages of data and analysis when you download our free, 2022 State of Open Source Report.
Additional Resources
- Report - 2020 State of Open Source Report
- Gartner® Report - A CTO’s Guide to Top Practices for Open-Source Software
- Forrester Consulting Study - Seize The Open Source Opportunity
