Navigating an uncertain global outlook with open source

AROUND the world, organisations have been taking careful steps with their growth. From hitting the brakes on hiring to laying off staff, industry is bracing itself for an economic downturn, even a recession. It’s a bit of a paradox actually, as these slowed paces of hiring – part of a larger budget freeze – often rob businesses of the resources and talent they need to innovate, slowing growth all the more.

The downturn is upon us, but not impossible to navigate. In the pursuit of global stability and recovery, organisations must prioritise continuity and be able to tap new business opportunities quickly. On the business front, this means moving quickly and leveraging on existing technologies to stay ahead of the game. This includes embracing open source, an essential enabler of sustainable growth in today’s world.

Open source is software or any other digital content that is made freely available to the general public. It has been around in industry as early as the 1950s, where almost all computer programs were generally distributed with openness and cooperation as guiding principles. Today, open source has become a backbone of society. These shared resources not only propel operational efficiencies, they also provide organisations the flexibility to tap into world-class expertise.