According to the survey findings, respondents cited the following as the top three most important reasons for using OSS: lower total cost of ownership (TCO), reduction in development of cost-prohibitive factors, and the ease to embark on new IT projects or software initiatives.

Some respondents indicated that they also use OSS as investment protection against a single vendor 'owning' the entire IT department, said Gartner.

Governance the number one challenge

Governance, or the lack of it, was the No 1 challenge for OSS users in the survey, followed by conflicting terms and conditions and the availability of too many license types and forms.

"Understanding when and how an OSS alternative may be used is a frustrating process, especially when there are so many license types and forms from which to choose," said Wurster.