Economy drives open-source software

The Eucalyptus open-source cloud computing infrastructure is "well worth watching this year," says Allison Randal in Forbes. The free offering provides for continued use of familiar applications and data, while tapping into the processing power of the cloud.

Open source is making gains during this down economy, as companies are forced to trim costs and look for savings, says Randal. "Free alternatives look substantially more appealing when the alternative is slashing resources needed to keep the business running."

And open-source software is suitable for both small projects and large, data-intensive efforts. As reported last May, researchers are using OpenClinica Enterprise as the electronic data capture and clinical data management solution for the Abuja heart study, a long-term effort involving as many as 10,000 patients from multiple sites across Nigeria.

- here's the Forbes article
- see our OpenClinica coverage