The 11th annual Linux conference got underway today with more than 700 free and open source software aficionados, tinkerers and newbies attending.
It’s usually held in Australia, but for the second time New Zealand is hosting the open source event. It’s one of the largest free software events in the world.
The number of attendees is going up as more businesses are either switching to open source solutions, or at least thinking about it.
Kelly Grace at The National Business Review reported that Open Source Society President Don Christie said he wasn’t sure how much of the newfound attraction to open source was due to the global economic crisis or perhaps something else.
But whatever the reason may be, adoption of free and open source software among businesses and governments is on the rise.
There are many benefits to using open source software, Christie said, such as more flexibility, much smaller capital investments and more freedom than with closed licensed software.
