A survey has revealed that over two thirds of global organisations anticipate increasing their expenditure on open source software this year, according to research by management consulting firm Accenture.

56 per cent of UK companies expect investment in open source systems to increase in 2012.

The Accenture survey also revealed that half the respondents are fully committed to using open source, while 38 per cent expect to transfer core software to open source within the next 12 months.

The survey also found that over three quarters of respondents cited quality of software over cost savings as the main reason for switching to an open source platform, and they also see open source as more reliable than traditional software. 70 per cent also see it as having better security and bug fixing capabilities.

Paul Daugherty, chief technology architect at Accenture, said: “What we are seeing is the coming of age of open source.

“Through both our research and our work with clients, we are seeing an increase in demand for open source based on quality, reliability and speed, not just cost savings. This is a significant change from just two years ago when uptake was driven mainly by cost savings.”

The findings represent a turning point for open source, according to Tomas Nyström, senior director of open source technologies at Accenture.

"Open source has become a high-quality and reliable alternative to traditional products, and is a real choice for businesses, not just a cost cutting measure," he said.

"The platform is growing faster than the total market, and is displacing closed software products."

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