UK trails in open source race

UK businesses are lagging behind their European and US counterparts in adopting open source software.

The UK is fifth in terms of uptake, with 15 per cent of businesses currently using open source technology. This compares with almost a quarter (24 per cent) of businesses using open source in France, 21 per cent in Germany and 17 per cent in both Canada and the US.

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Nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of UK businesses said they have no plans to adopt open source software within their organisation in the next 12 months. Around 36 per cent said they weren't interested in the technology at all.

But according to Forrester Research, the UK is joint top (with Germany and the US) for businesses currently piloting open source technology - with five per cent.

Another six per cent said they are planning to pilot open source technology in the next 12 months.

European businesses appear to be less concerned about the security of open source than those in North America, with just 45 per cent of Europeans saying they were concerned about security, compared to 71 per cent across the Atlantic.

According to Forrester, organisations using or planning to use open source software say lower cost is the main driver.