In the past, I have written about the economic model behind Linux. The ROI of the FOSS development model is compelling and obvious to anyone who participates in it. Several years ago, GNU/Linux has become the foundation of the OS strategy of the largest commercial force in the IT world --- IBM. Relatively early on, IBM understood why using GNU/Linux as its core OS, as oppossed to a proprietary alternative, makes an excellent business sense.

Trends over the past few years have confirmed the business wisdom in IBM's decision. Many other companies are getting on the bandwagon. This comprehensive article in Business Week, provides an excellent overview of the FOSS economic model, explaining why GNU/Linux has been so successful and why FOSS represents a formidable challange to Microsoft.