Where In the World Is Open Source Software?
by Lisa Hoover - Apr. 21, 2009Comments (0)- Related Blog Posts
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Where In the World is Open Source Software? 
Red Hat commissioned a study released today that takes a fascinating look at which countries use the most open source software. The usual suspects -- the U.S., UK, and China -- made the top of the list and Africa brings a decent show of support to the table, no doubt due, in part, to the efforts of the One Laptop Per Child program. The interactive Open Source Environment Map Red Hat created to display the results is a terrific visual representation of where FOSS is found, and where the community needs to step up its efforts toward the goal of worldwide FOSS adoption.
The research, conducted by Georgia Tech, is based on the prevalence and acceptance of open source software in 75 different countries around the world. Each country was awarded points for "its policies, practices, and other data in the fields of Government, Industry, and Community." The data also takes into account that, though some countries have may not have a particularly high rate of FOSS use, the fact that it holds several IT patents or has a large number of Internet users indicates a open source software has a high potential of gaining traction in the future.
Map showing Open Source Activity by Region
Tom Rabon, vice president, Corporate Affairs for Red Hat, says the research is a springboard for showing the value of open source software to nations that aren't yet hearing its siren song. "Red Hat hopes the Open Source Index will serve as a resource for those within the open source community along with others who are curious about open source to start building relationships and further foster worldwide open source growth,” he said in a prepared statement.
According to Red Hat, this research is "just the beginning." As the open source community mines and adds to the data, the map (available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States (CC-BY-SA) license) will evolve and change accordingly. "We encourage you to explore, learn, then improve or build off the Open Source Index," reads its Web site. "Analyze the results here or gather the data and change the construction. Whatever you do, share it with the rest of us."
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