Professional Engineers and Hobbyists Will Increase Reliance on Open Source Hardware and Software in 2013, According to element14 Study

LONDON, June 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Study unveils high level of crossover between hobbyists and professional engineers in use of dev kits and open source hardware and software

The use of open source hardware and software will continue to grow among both professional engineers and the hobbyist community in 2013, according to the results of a new survey from element14.

Among the survey's key findings:

• More than half (56%) of professional engineers are more likely to use open source hardware such as Arduino and BeagleBone in 2013. Among hobbyists, that figure jumps to 82%.
• 52% of professional engineers and 81% of hobbyists report being more likely to use open source software in 2013.
• More than half (54%) of hobbyists report using dev kits at least once per quarter for personal projects.

"The numbers paint a very clear picture that open source hardware is showing strong traction among professional engineers and hobbyists as well as educators and students," said Andrea Koritala, global head of technology integration at Premier Farnell. "With a high level of crossover between professionals and hobbyists, this increase in adoption extends to the workplace. An engineer on the job is looking for access to many of the same tools and resources accessible to the hobbyist community."

Professional engineers rated reference designs as the resource that weighs most heavily in the decision to select a dev kit. Among hobbyists, the most important factor was the availability of online tutorials, webinars and videos.

"This trend also speaks to the importance of ease of access and use, as a strong community can help bring ideas and designs to life," Koritala said. "Engineers have historically been hesitant to fully embrace open source, but the sheer availability of open-source tools and resources has mitigated many of the risks associated with designing in open source for commercial use."

The survey, conducted in April 2013, included responses from a mix of professional engineers, hobbyists and students. All respondents had purchased one or more dev kits or related products in the year prior to taking the survey.

About element14

Launched in June 2009, element14 is the first information portal, collaborative community and electronics store specifically built for electronic design engineers. The community recently unveiled its element14 knode, a unique automated platform that enables engineers to quickly research, design, develop and prototype in a single, intelligent environment. element14 is an innovative offering from Premier Farnell plc (LSE:pfl), FTSE 250, a leader in multi-channel electronics distribution trading throughout Europe (Farnell element14 and CPC), the Americas (Newark, MCM and Farnell Newark) and Asia Pacific (element14). The company had group sales of £952m last year.

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Email: cloh@element14.com