Business leaders looking to trim budgets might want to talk with their IT team about dropping some proprietary software and opting for cheaper open source alternatives.

That’s because the tough economy and better ease of use have made open source software more popular with many organizations

And the number of companies that adopt open source continues to grown.

Nearly all businesses (98%) use some open source software, according to a recent survey conducted by open source software developer Zenoss, Inc.

Survey responses were collected from 974 attendants of the annual USENIX Large Installation System Administration conference.

One reason open source has become so popular: It’s getting easier to use. This year, 71% of respondents said open source apps were easier to adopt than proprietary software. In 2006, just 26% of folks gave the same answer.

Another driving factor is the economy, as 57% of respondents listed the lower cost as a reason for using open source software.

That’s not to say businesses are ditching proprietary software. That still has several key advantages over open source. Respondents cited quality of support (47%), and product maturity, established brands and lower risks (all 23%) as the biggest reasons for using proprietary software.

What’s your company’s take on open source? Let us know in the comments section below.