A large and growing number of companies are embracing Open Source tools and frameworks to manage – not just run -- their IT infrastructures. Since 2002, a leading Open Source monitoring tool called Nagios has had 460,000 downloads, among them -- ATT Wireless, Siemens, America OnLine, TicketMaster, TimeWarner Cable -- and one of the best-known construction firms in Silicon Valley.

Why the interest in Open Source from such influential firms? There are a couple of forces at work, according to those watching this sector.

oetrends.com