Open GenAI, LLMs, and the Evolving Open Source Ecosystem

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Meet the Experts

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Michele Rosen

Research Manager, Open GenAI, LLMs, and the Evolving Open Source Ecosystem



IDC's Open GenAI, LLMs, and the Evolving Open Source Ecosystem service takes an unconventional approach to understanding the importance and size of open source–based solutions that are entering the market today, particularly open generative AI (GenAI) tools and large language models (LLMs). This program analyzes the relative maturity, capabilities, delivery models, and size of noncommercial implementations of open source software (OSS) solutions in the context of markets that classically have been served by commercial, non–open source software products and have been sized in terms of dollars of spend annually. This program provides the "rest of the story" to clients that wish to understand the evolving open source ecosystem and the role that open source software plays today and will play in the future.


Markets and Subjects Analyzed


  • Evaluation of open source projects and related products by functional market
  • Evaluation of the commercial vendors that turn those open source projects into commercially supported products and their ability to penetrate and impact the market
  • Analysis of open GenAI tools, platforms, and foundation models
  • Evaluation of the evolution of open source licenses and open core business models
  • Evaluation of the customer base for open source technologies as well as adoption patterns and use cases for that technology
  • Forecast for how open source adoption is likely to change

Core Research


  • OSS Projects and OSS Companies to Watch
  • OSS Adoption Survey
  • Open and Open Source Foundation Models
  • Evaluating Open GenAI Tools, Platforms, and Models
  • The Emerging Open Source GenAI Ecosystem
  • The Role of OSS in Digital Innovation

In addition to the insight provided in this service, IDC may conduct research on specific topics or emerging market segments via research offerings that require additional IDC funding and client investment.


Key Questions Answered


  1. What is the relative maturity of key open source projects and commercialized versions of these projects?
  2. What factors should organizations consider when evaluating open source projects and vendors?
  3. How is the open source ecosystem evolving in the AI Everywhere era?
  4. What is the overall volume of noncommercial open source software in specific markets?
  5. Who are the key commercial vendors selling open source software, and how are their businesses evolving?
  6. How is the industry responding to the need to support new and aging OSS projects?

Companies Covered