via: https://infosec.exchange/@juanan/114183068696835294

Researchers at Harvard Business School and University of Toronto used unique data to quantify the value of open source.

Takeways:

• Supply-side (cost to recreate) is ~$4.15B, but demand-side (value to firms) is $8.8T. Shows massive cost savings & productivity boost from OSS.
• If OSS didn’t exist, firms would need to spend an estimated 3.5 times more on software than they currently do. OSS provides a massive, often invisible, productivity boost.
• A tiny fraction of OSS developers create the vast majority of value. Only 5% of developers are responsible for over 96% of the demand-side value
• Firms should not just “free ride” on OSS but actively contribute to the ecosystem, as this is far cheaper than recreating the software themselves.