“Open-source software has become a means to an end,” says Forrester’s Mr Hammond. “Most firms don’t really care that it is libre, as in freedom, but that it is gratis, as in beer.”

a) because "gratis, as in beer" is a simply ridiculous turn of phrase, and b) the previous paragraph has a far more insightful comment that totally repudiates this:

"But cost is not the only reason for open source’s growing popularity. Many firms now know that it offers more flexibility than proprietary programs, the licences for which often include restrictions on how they can be used"

The forrester guy appears to be trying to say "Companies aren't interested in the politics of free software, they just don't like having intrusive controls and limitations placed on what they can do with the software" i.e. he's entirely missed the point of Free Software and has just mentally labelled it as "political" or "religious" and so ignores it.