The Future of Technology is Open Source. Which Companies Haven’t Gotten the Memo?

Open source software -- that anyone can see, modify, and distribute the source code free of charge -- offers a publicly-accessible, and free alternative to proprietary software. Many companies have embraced collaborative software over the last decade and have achieved massive success. But as the open source movement picks up the pace, which companies missed the memo?

By tracking the skills most associated with open source -- Python, and R -- and their proprietary counterparts -- MATLAB, SPSS, SAS, and Stata -- using the Revelio Labs skills taxonomy, we’ve ranked the workforces most skilled in open source.

Below we break down the skills for industries that have the highest and lowest rates of open source software adoption. MATLAB persists as the most common tool in many engineering industries, whereas SPSS is the most popular in Market Research and Pharmaceuticals industries.

In the figure below, we break down open source software adoption by company. Big tech companies are leading the way in hiring employees that are skilled in open source. Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are also leading the pack. Among those falling behind we see automobile manufacturers and medical companies.

Key Takeaways:

• There is major variation across industries in softwares their employees are skilled in. Companies in computer software and related industries are the most likely to adopt open source software, whereas engineering and manufacturing industries still mainly use proprietary software.
• Tech companies are leading the way in adoption of open source software.
• Adobe, Salesforce, and Google have the highest ratio of workers skilled in open source software to proprietary software. Rolls Royce, Shell, and Siemens are falling behind, according to Revelio Labs skills taxonomy data.