Is Open Source Software Competitive With Cutting-Edge Applications?

by Sam Dean - Sep. 02, 2010Comments (1)

Here at OStatic, we’ve asked the question before: Why does open source lag the innovation curve? In other words, why is it so common to see robust open source applications and platforms that have been around for years in long-standing product categories, but so uncommon to see cutting-edge applications and platforms in brand new technology categories? Over at The H Open, they’re asking similar questions, as they ponder why InfoWorld’s latest “Bossies” list of the best business open source applications includes only well-known names like Android, SugarCRM and OpenBravo.

The InfoWorld Bossies is actually a list well worth looking at if you’re interested in great business open source software choices. But the fact that the editors have selected great apps and platforms doesn’t change the fact that all of the choices they deem best are long-standing software creations that don’t lead the innovation curve in cutting-edge categories.

According to the H Open:

“What is striking is that they are all well-known contenders. Five of the nine award-winning applications – OpenBravo, SugarCRM, Pentaho, Drupal and WordPress – were already given an award in 2009, and a sixth – Alfresco – already received the InfoWorld award in 2008.”

Indeed, the larger problem is that it’s very rare to see open source software really leading innovation in important, emerging software categories such as speech recognition or social networking. The problem isn’t lack of good developers in open source. In social networking, for example, developers have created good open source offerings, but they don’t lead the pack, and they certainly don’t challenge Facebook.

Open source is home base for renegades, rebels, and out-of-the-box thinkers. It remains a conundrum why open source software doesn’t lead the way in more important, cutting-edge tech categories.