A stage model of evolution of open source software: Implications for the next stage of open source software development

Open source software (OSS) has steadily penetrated the software industry. OSS can be interpreted in many ways, such as software license, as a development philosophy, and as a development process. OSS has increased in its maturity as a solution for industries in the last decade. OSS also continues to exploit its options as a business model. The author proposes a three stage model of the evolution of OSS. The author coins a new term, organizational OSS, and presents the definition. Then, the author discusses the requirements that lead to a new stage, the driving factors and obstacles toward a new direction in OSS.