The success of open source software has far exceeded initial expectations and we have long speculated that the ‘open’ meme would eventually spread to non-IT sectors.  In addition to many open software projects, we have recently seen a growing emphasis in universities on open science and open curricula; increasing government commitments to open data; and perhaps most intriguingly, impressive demonstrations of the power of open source manufacturing designs when combined with 3D printing.  There is now open activity at virtually every level of business and IT. 

This report describes our findings and the lessons learned, and provides recommendations for using various open technology approaches.  Over the coming year we will continue to assess the potential for more open and transparent strategies, and how firms balance these pressures with their traditional needs for security and confidentiality.  It’s one of the more intriguing strategic challenges of our increasingly open and internet-based world, and one where Enterprise IT can play an important leadership role.

Read/comment on Simon Wardley's Learning from Web 2.0 blog posts here.

Watch a short clip of Simon discussing this research including some of the findings that characterize open market competition and strategy.