Enterprise applications Toolkit

Story: Open source firms 'to be consumed by wave of consolidation'

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challenging the status quo

Of course I can understand the SAP marketing man saying SAP is a "winner". That's his job! But he sounds as convincing as a central banker telling you that the turmoil is over and your savings are safe.

The truth is; history tells us that shake ups in the status quo occur when things go bad not when things are good. In the good times companies, with little costs pressures, go with the flow and follow the "norm" and let's not forget... people "don't get fired for buying IBM". Yeah they don't when times are good, but when things turn and there are real pressures on costs it's then the choice really matters and it's then that the "Status Quo" is questioned and challenged. Companies like SAP represent the status quo... Open Source is the challenge. And now when such decisions can literally mean life or death for a company I believe more companies will see the logic and choose Open Source.

And after all, if some of the biggest & most powerful financial organisations in the world can simply disappear overnight why not a software company? And when it does what happens to their client companies investment? And it's not just the monetary investment - let's not forget the time & effort their staff have expended becoming proficient in the use of the software? All that is lost too! With Open Source that possibility/risk simple does not exist!

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