Annual 'Future of Open Source' Survey Results Announced at OSBC

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - March 25, 2008) - InfoWorld's Open Source Business Conference (OSBC) -- Today at OSBC, the results of the North Bridge Venture Partners' annual "Future of Open Source" survey were released and will be discussed by a panel of top experts in the commercial open source industry, including executives from Acquia, Ingres, SugarCRM, Sun Microsystems, and Ubuntu. The survey results, which include responses from OSBC attendees and customers of the companies represented on the panel, bring to light a variety of significant issues and topics surrounding open source, such as the current economic downturn, key market drivers, delivery/pricing models, and predictions regarding the types of companies that will drive the next wave of commercial open source success.

"The highly visible commercial success of open source has helped firmly place it on the map as one of the most influential market segments within the software industry," said Michael Skok, General Partner, North Bridge Venture Partners. "Open source is drastically changing the current and future direction of the software industry and it is our goal with our Future of Open Source survey to identify key trends and to understand what the future might look like. We look forward to reviewing and discussing the survey results at our highly interactive panel, which is comprised of the open source industry's most distinguished thought leaders."

Following are various key findings from the 2008 Future of Open Source survey:

--  Approximately 81 percent of respondents feel the economy's turbulence
    is "good" for open source software
--  Respondents revealed that the top three factors that make open source
    software attractive include: lower acquisition and maintenance costs;
    flexibility/access to libraries of community-developed code; and freedom
    from vendor lock-in
--  More than 55 percent of respondents believe that in five years 25-50
    percent of purchased software will be open source vs. proprietary
--  The Web Publishing/Content Management market is expected to be most
    vulnerable to disruption by open source in the next five years
--  Respondents expect the Security Tools be least vulnerable to
    disruption by open source in the next five years
    

To view the full survey results, please visit: http://acquia.com/northbridgesurvey.

At OSBC, the following panel of experts will review the key findings of the 2008 Future of Open Source survey, as they look at what lies ahead in the coming year and beyond. Providing a more interactive experience for all, session attendees will have the opportunity to actively participate via the Mozes online voting system -- presenting a real-time comparison of the survey data being discussed. In its fourth year, see why this standing room-only session at OSBC was rated one of the best by last year's attendees.

Panel Details:

The Future of Open Source: Exploring the Investments, Innovations,
 Applications, Opportunities and Threats
Tuesday, March 25, 10:30 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.
The Palace Hotel, San Francisco, CA

Session Description: While Open Source software continues to redefine the landscape of the software industry and change the rules of the game, what will tomorrow's software ecosystem really look like? Who are the real winners and losers and why? What are tomorrow's innovations? What are the new applications that will take hold? From where will the biggest threats come from?

Panel participants will include:
Michael Skok, General Partner, North Bridge Venture Partners (Moderator)
Roger Burkhardt, President & CEO, Ingres Corporation
Mårten Mickos, Senior Vice President, Database Group, Sun Microsystems
John Roberts, Chairman, CEO & Co-Founder, SugarCRM
Mark Shuttleworth, Founder, Ubuntu
Jeff Whatcott, VP, Marketing, Acquia

Comments from Panel Participants

"The software industry is in the midst of a dramatic sea of change that is being driven primarily by the open source movement," said Roger Burkhardt, President and CEO, Ingres Corporation. "We have made huge strides over the past few years, using open source solutions to make businesses more efficient and empowering them to compete more efficiently in a global economy. We look forward to sharing some of our experiences and best practices at OSBC."

"The age of proprietary, closed software is nearing its end," said John Roberts, Chairman, CEO & Co-Founder, SugarCRM. "It's critical that customers have as many software solution options as possible, such as on-demand, on-site and appliance-based solutions. We look forward to discussing the emerging trends we're seeing, including the intersection of open source and SaaS models, at this year's OSBC."

"Cooperation, consensus and community are the primary drivers of open source," said Mark Shuttleworth, Founder, Ubuntu. "The visibility and importance of open source continue to grow, and we continue to see innovation in the business models, licensing and governance structures that drive the free software platform. Still, there are many open questions about the state and future of open source and OSBC is the ideal location for a content-rich exchange of ideas to address these critical industry issues."

"The power of open source is exemplified by self-organizing mass innovation that is connected in real-time to market requirements, and we're seeing this first-hand in the vibrant Drupal community," said Jeff Whatcott, VP of Marketing, Acquia. "At OSBC, we look forward to exploring how open source is driving and shaping the convergence of content management, social media and web development software."

About OSBC

InfoWorld's Open Source Business Conference (OSBC) is the industry's only forum for senior business leaders, C-level technical strategists, lawyers and venture capitalists to collaborate on emerging business models, strategies and profitability for open source software use. OSBC explores the legal, investment, vendor and customer risks, rewards and opportunities presented by open source software. The program will provide content-rich sessions from well-known thought leaders and industry executives on how open source technology is being used and will investigate the business implications of this technology. For additional details, please visit www.osbc.com.

About North Bridge Partners

With $2.2B under management, North Bridge Venture Partners is an active, full-stage (seed to growth) venture capital firm dedicated to helping entrepreneurs build market defining companies. We bring a unique combination of experience, demonstrated track record and patience to help entrepreneurs succeed in an ever-challenging business environment. We invest in internet (e.g. Bungee Labs, Demandware, Veveo), communications (e.g. Crossbeam Systems, envIO, Fring, Mozes, Aylus Networks, Camiant, Starent Networks), software/SaaS (e.g. Acquia, rPath, Awareness, SpringCM, Reval, SupplyScape), materials (e.g. A123Systems, 1366, WMR BioMedical, QD Vision) and other technology markets. Our offices are located in Waltham, MA and San Mateo, CA.

Contact Information: Contact: Michele Hagan North Bridge Venture Partners (781) 863-8913