A Study of the Effect on Business Development by Utilization and Contribution of Open Source Software in Japanese IT Companies

Abstract

Open Source Software (OSS) is the software of which source code is open to public, and then users can study and improve them corresponding to the application and market needs. This study conducted the questionnaire survey to IT companies in Japan, investigating how OSS utilization and contribution to the development community affect the business growth of companies. The survey was first implemented in 2012 and continued for 3 consecutive years until 2014. In order to analyze the transition during these 3 years in terms of the OSS utilization, contribution, and company growth.