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Open Source Trends to Watch Out for in 2024
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Isaac JOSEPH
November 10, 2023
Introduction
Open-source software has grown into the most important part of modern computing, supporting critical infrastructure, business solutions, and a huge range of apps. As the year 2024 draws near, open-source trends continues to weave its way through the digital world's technology. Each of these trends points to major changes in how software is created, shared, and maintained. As these trends unfold, we are exposed to the changing model of open-source development, which promises to make innovation more accessible to everyone and speed up the digital change around the world.
What is Open Source Software?
Open-source software, or OSS, is a type of computer software where the source code is made public under a licence that lets anyone study, change, and share the software for any reason. Anyone can look at, change, and improve the software with this joint method to development, which encourages innovation and openness in the community.
It's important to understand open-source trends because they show not only how technology is changing now but also how it will change in the future, affecting companies, government, and society as a whole. Open source isn't just about making the source code free; it's also about the community that grows around it and moves the technology forward.
Why are Open Source Trends Important?
Open source software is becoming increasingly important in the global software industry. In 2023, open source software accounted for over 90% of all software development. This trend is being driven by a number of factors, including:
- The lower cost of open source software: Open source software is typically free to use and redistribute, which makes it a more cost-effective option for many organizations.
- The higher quality of open source software: Open source software is often of higher quality than proprietary software, because it is developed and reviewed by a community of experts.
- The faster innovation cycles of open source software: Open source software is typically innovated at a faster pace than proprietary software, because the community of developers is constantly contributing new features and bug fixes.
Open Source Trends to Watch Out for in 2024
Below are the trends to watch out for:
Increased corporate involvement
The increasing involvement of corporations in open source software is a positive trend for the open source community as a whole. Corporations can provide financial support, development resources, and expertise to open source projects. They can also help to promote open source software to a wider audience. One way that corporations are getting involved in open source is by creating open source programs offices (OSPOs). OSPOs are responsible for managing a company's use of open source software and contributing to open source projects. OSPOs can help companies to identify and adopt the right open source software for their needs, and to comply with open source licenses.
Another way that corporations are getting involved in open source is by contributing to open source projects. This can involve writing code, testing code, or providing feedback to developers. Corporations can also contribute to open source projects by donating infrastructure or financial resources.
Widespread adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning
The widespread adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) is another major trend that is impacting the open source software community. AI/ML is being used to develop a wide range of new applications, and open source software is playing a key role in this development.
There are a number of open source AI/ML tools and frameworks available, such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, and scikit-learn. These tools and frameworks make it easier for developers to build AI/ML-powered applications. The widespread adoption of AI/ML is expected to continue in 2024 and beyond, which will lead to increased demand for open source AI/ML tools and frameworks. It will also create new opportunities for open source projects to develop new AI/ML-powered applications.
A greater focus on security
Security is a major concern for the open source software community. Open source software is often used by organisations of all sizes, and this makes it a target for attackers. The open source community is taking a number of steps to improve the security of open source software. One step is to adopt security best practices, such as code review, vulnerability scanning, and supply chain security. Another step is to invest in open source security tools and services. The increased focus on security is a positive trend for the open source community as a whole. It will help to make open source software more secure and reliable for users.
Decentralised open-source projects
The concept of decentralised open source projects is becoming increasingly popular. Decentralised open source projects are not controlled by any single entity. Instead, they are governed by a community of stakeholders. Decentralised open source projects have a number of advantages over traditional open source projects. They are more resilient to censorship and attack. They are also more democratic, as all stakeholders have a voice in the governance of the project.
The trend towards decentralised open source projects is expected to continue in 2024 and beyond. This will lead to the development of new open source governance models and tools. It will also create new opportunities for open source projects to be developed and maintained in a more democratic and resilient way.
The rise of no-code and low-code open source tools
No-code and low-code tools make it possible for people without programming experience to build software applications. This trend is expected to continue in 2024, as more and more open source no-code and low-code tools are released. This will make it easier for everyone to participate in the open source community and to contribute to open source projects.
Some of the benefits of no-code and low-code open source tools include:
- Accessibility: No-code and low-code tools make software development more accessible to people of all backgrounds and skill levels. This can help to diversify the open source community and lead to the development of new and innovative software solutions.
- Speed and agility: No-code and low-code tools can help developers to build and deploy software applications more quickly and efficiently. This can be especially beneficial for open source projects, which often have limited resources.
- Collaboration: No-code and low-code tools can make it easier for developers to collaborate on software projects. This can be especially beneficial for open source projects, which often have a distributed community of contributors.
The increasing popularity of open source software in non-tech industries
Open source software is no longer just for tech companies. In recent years, there has been a growing adoption of open source software in non-tech industries, such as healthcare, finance, and government. This trend is expected to continue in 2024, as more and more organisations in non-tech industries recognize the benefits of open source software.
Below are some of the benefits of open source software for non-tech industries include:
- Cost savings: Open source software is typically free to use and distribute, which can save organizations significant amounts of money on software licensing costs.
- Flexibility and customisation: Open source software is typically more flexible and customizable than proprietary software. This gives organizations the ability to tailor software solutions to their specific needs.
- Security and transparency: Open source software is typically more secure and transparent than proprietary software. This is because the source code is freely available to anyone for inspection and audit.
The growing importance of open source software in sustainability and social impact initiatives
Open source software is being used to develop a wide range of sustainability and social impact initiatives, such as renewable energy systems, climate change monitoring tools, and educational resources for developing countries. More and more people and organisations now use open source software to make a positive impact on the world.
Some of the ways that open source software is being used to promote sustainability and social impact include:
- Developing new technologies for renewable energy and energy efficiency: Open source software is being used to develop new technologies for renewable energy and energy efficiency, such as solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles.
- Creating tools to monitor and combat climate change: Open source software is being used to create tools to monitor and combat climate change, such as climate change modeling software and tools to track carbon emissions.
- Developing educational resources for developing countries: It is also used to develop educational resources for developing countries, such as online courses and educational software in local languages.
Conclusion
Open source software is playing an increasingly important role in the global software industry. In 2024, we can expect to see the trends listed above continue and accelerate. This is a positive development for the software industry as a whole, as it will lead to more innovation, lower costs, and higher quality software. It is clear that these open-source trends are not merely fleeting currents but enduring forces shaping the future of technology, with profound implications for innovation, collaboration, and societal progress in 2024 and beyond.
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