As open source makes greater inroads within IT organizations, it's time for companies to get serious about creating policies and governance models around its use.
Thorough license reviews, for example, are a good idea, given the requirements of various reciprocal open source licenses that require community distribution of code modifications, or that include software patent restrictions around them.
Companies probably are using open source software more than they realize, experts say, even if they still tend to be selective about where they'll take advantage of it. They tend to impose stricter requirements around approving its use when it comes to mission critical or customer-facing applications, says Brian Fan, senior partner with business and strategy consulting firm Olliance Group.