When I first wrote about open source software in the 1990s, I regularly had to explain its virtues. Many businesses—particularly large companies—were frightened by what they saw as open source’s weaknesses, such as the lack of “one neck to wring” and perceived security vulnerabilities. How quaint. Today, nearly every business uses open source software.

One thing hasn’t changed, though: corporate reluctance to contribute to open source projects. Or, more to the point, in too few enterprise organizations are programmers and tech staff granted the time and freedom to participate in the open source development process.

How enterprise IT pros can contribute to open source projects More>