Open Source Monitor 2025: How OSS is used in business and administration

Open source software (OSS) has long been established as an integral part of the IT landscape in Germany. The latest Bitkom study, ‘Open Source Monitor 2025,’ makes it clear that both companies and public authorities are increasingly relying on OSS – and consider it a key factor for digital sovereignty and technological independence.

Use of OSS in companies

The representative survey of over 1,100 companies shows that almost three-quarters of respondents use OSS. Most companies use open source software internally, while around a third make adjustments. 25% integrate OSS into their own products or solutions for customers, sometimes with individual adjustments. In contrast, only a few companies develop independent OSS products for external customers.

The study also shows that there is still room for improvement in the strategic anchoring of open source: more than half of the companies do not have an OSS strategy, only 14% have an Open Source Program Office (OSPO), and 62% work without written policies. Compliance processes are also not established in almost half of the companies – a point that is becoming increasingly important in view of regulatory requirements such as the Cyber Resilience Act.

Open source and AI: opportunities, reluctance and digital sovereignty

Open source and artificial intelligence (AI) are becoming increasingly linked. Around half of the companies surveyed consider open source AI models to be recommendable, and 73% see OSS as a key to digital sovereignty. Nevertheless, only a few companies are actively using open source AI. This shows that confidence in openness is growing, but practical experience and clear strategies are often still lacking.

OSS in the public sector: saving money and securing skilled workers

OSS is also playing an increasingly important role in public administration. Around two-thirds of public authorities use free software, while just over a third have a clear strategy in place. The major advantage lies in the sovereignty and adaptability of the solutions. At the same time, the shortage of skilled workers remains one of the biggest challenges for the sustainable expansion of open infrastructures.

Openness towards OSS is growing

The Bitkom study also shows that OSS is viewed predominantly positively in Germany: only 2% of respondents have a negative attitude, while over 60% are very or somewhat open to it. Almost half of companies expect the use of open source to continue to increase in the future. This consolidates OSS as a central element of modern IT strategies – across all industries and administrative areas.

Conclusion

Overall, the Open Source Monitor 2025 paints a clear picture: open source is firmly established in business and administration, but in many places its organisational and strategic implementation lags behind the actual level of use. While companies and public authorities are increasingly recognising the importance of digital sovereignty, there is often still a lack of solid structures to ensure this in the long term. This is precisely where the potential of open technologies comes into play – they create trust, transparency and control over critical digital processes.

The results of the Open Source Monitor also reflect this trend in the communications sector: more and more organisations are turning to open, sovereign alternatives to proprietary solutions. One example of this is our video conferencing solution OpenTalk – completely open source and published under the EUPL licence. It shows how open source principles can be successfully applied to security-critical applications. Through transparency in the code, clear compliance structures and the option of installing it yourself, OpenTalk enables companies and public authorities to design digital communication confidently and independently – in line with the goals highlighted by the Open Source Monitor 2025