Open source solutions will reduce your costs
In the current economic climate it makes sense to reduce costs and open-source software will have a direct impact on the bottom line. But there are less obvious considerations.Consider the case of a system supplier who cuts back on staff, or even goes out of business. What will the impact be on your business? Will they provide you with the source code so you can carry on working? It isn't likely.
With open-source software you have access to the code, so you can guarantee support for your systems. Another concern is how much will the costs of delivering and suporting proprietary solutions increase when the economy picks up? Those suppliers will want to claw back lost revenue and prices will go up. The downside for your business is that you will foot the bill.
With open source systems you have the code and therefore more leverage when it comes to negotiating costs.
It may seem paradoxical but right now is the time to start making the change to open source systems, so that when the economy picks up again, you will be in position to grow your business rather than growing your software suppliers profits.