In a report on the use of open source software among European business, the commission concluded in almost all cases that the use of open source software over proprietary applications would help firms realize a significant savings.
The commission’s report, which is based on analysis from data collected in six European Union countries, flies in the face of assertions by companies such as Microsoft, which has maintained that savings realized by adopting Linux are a myth.
“Our findings show that, in almost all cases, a transition toward open source produces savings in the long-term cost of ownership,” said the report, which was written by academics at the United Nations University in Maastricht, the Netherlands.
The commission’s report also gave a strong endorsement to the Open Office applications suite, which competes directly with Microsoft’s Office, saying that users of the open source product are just as productive as those who use the proprietary tool.
“Open Office has all the functionalities that public offices need to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations,” the report said. “Open Office is free and extremely stable.”
While the report was high on open source in general, the commission did offer two warnings about switching from proprietary software. First, the report said, short-term costs would increase for firms that move to open source because employees will need additional training. Second, the report noted, a switch to open source might result in some worker backlash from employees who feel undervalued because they have been given applications that lack brand-name recognition.
For its part, the European Commission has taken steps to encourage the use of open source software within the EU. In October, it granted nearly $4 million to a project to test the quality of open source software and develop interoperability between applications.