Factors involved in the adoption of free software by SMEs in Medellín

Abstract

In emerging economies, open source software brings SMEs benefits such as purchase cost savings, source code modification, vendor independence, higher quality and more secure software. The objective of this article is to identify the factors that drive adopters and non-adopters of free software and develop strategies that encourage its adoption at SMEs in Medellín by means of interviews with CEOs and IT department directors. One of the conclusions is that the technological culture of the organization and its infrastructure are factors that determine the ease of use. Besides, software quality is a decisive element in the perception of the usefulness of free software. Finally, both government support and the availability of ICT-trained personnel are factors that influence the attitude of a company towards the usage of these free technologies.

Keywords

• free software
• free software in SMEs
• technology acceptance model
• free software adoption
• open source software