Interest in alternatives to Microsoft is continuing to grow, according to new research from analyst firm Gartner.

Gartner said licensing issues, security breaches and "the grass-roots power of open-source software" were leading government and businesses around the world to consider their options

Linux and Open Office were the most popular Microsoft alternatives.

The approaches to Microsoft varied by region, with a mixed appraoch of both open source and local vendors favoured in the Asia-Pacific - including Australia - along with China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and several European countries.

"Some governments believe they can use open-source to spark their local IT industries and thus avoid having to export increasing amounts of their gross domestic product to US-based companies," vice president and Gartner fellow David Smith said.

North American countries, it said, were less concerned about Microsoft's market dominance than other regions said.

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