It is not a bubble, but despite the buzz about open-source software, it is definitely NOT a panacea.
One of the 'benefits' I hear always touted about open-source, is that you can look at the underlying code, and modify it if required.
Well, that is all well and good, if you/your company has the manpower/resources to perform such a review.
For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), in my experience, the 'IT' guy is usually an unpaid schlob who tinkers with the system after the VARs have implemented their computing solution. If the guy is tech-savvy, then open-source may work; however, the decision to do so is almost always unauthorizedby upper management. The VARs then get to come back to fix fubars.
If you have the in-house resources, then open-source might be the way. What a lot of polls do not seem to consider is that the initial cost of the software is not the biggest expense: it is design, implementation, and maintenance of such a solution. Furthermore, there is also the cost of migration from the current computing platform. For this, an outside consultant will most definitely be a budget-buster, IMHO.
Though, if your critical software provider/company goes kaput, commercial, open-source, or otherwise, you are up S*** creek, with a paddle, but no boat!
If you got with the top 2 best-of-breed companies- Microsoft, Oracle, etc., in their specific segments, it will be almost impossible for them to fail.
However, you have to look at management and see if their moves, Novell -> DR DOS, Sybase-> whatever, are, in your own opinion, either aggressive, defensive, or deer-caught-in-the-headlights type.
If their moves are bonehead moves, quake and bail out. Quickly!
All I'm saying is that being open-source does not immediately mean that it is good, or the right way to go; the uniqueness of each enterprise requires a solution that works for them, especially financially.
As we have found out in our practice, most smaller businesses without a 'tech guy' cannot afford to go open source. This observation is true not only in the US but also in our EMEA sector as well.
Once you move into the 75-seat to 2000-seat arena, the dynamics change. Generally, there is either an IT person or group tasked with providing not only support, but maximizing current and future computing needs. At this stage, while we, as a Microsoft-centric shop do not actively ask them to seek other options, we require them to investigate open-source, especially if it feeds their budgetary needs.
After all, if a decision is made to go open-source, we will help in the planning, design, implementation, migration, and support. Ka-ching, ka-ching!