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9/25/2006
A-HEC’s study participants were asked to identify the
general categories of application software being considered
for replacement with open source software at their
institutions.
Notably, course management systems
reflected the highest
percentages.
Source: A-HEC Higher Education Open Source Study 2006.
How much of the gap between open source infrastructure software and application software adoption should be attributed to the longer-standing acceptance of open source in the broader IT marketplace? How much reflects either lagging support of application users or a still immature market? Whatever the answers may be, it’s clear that adoption of open source applications in higher education has not yet reached its stride.
Replace or Rely?
In terms of the application software market in higher education, it’s tempting to ask: In which software categories might we see existing software actually replaced by open source? Which proprietary vendors would be replaced? A-HEC study participants responded to both questions in terms of what was being considered at their own institutions. But while the numbers are useful for spotting trends, researchers caution against direct comparisons, especially in the context of the data on vendors: The higher percentages for “replacement” may, at least in part, be a reflection of a larger market share.
The higher ed market remains heavily reliant on proprietary vendor solutions for software applications, especially course management systems. Recent attention given to Blackboard’s patent action against a smaller competitor illustrates the intensity of this vendor presence within the higher education market for software applications. Love-hate relationships between higher ed clients and these vendors elicit a gamut of responses, from “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” to joining consortia and foundations to develop open source applications that would dethrone the vendor-monarchs.
An estimated 25 percent of US higher education institutions
have
implemented one or more of the
10 leading open source
software
applications identified by the A-HEC study. Seven of
the
applications
(shown in gray) were implemented by more than
1 percent of institutions.
Source: Derived from the chart “Estimated
Market Adoption of
Select Open Source
Application Software,”
A-HEC Higher Education OpenSource Study 2006.