An Open-Source Presidency in US ? - "Its already endorsed and employed by EU" - by John Dragoon
President Obama has been praised and vilified for exploring the use of open-source technology. Yet touting open-source software use in the public sector is nothing new. The U.S. actually lags behind the governments of the Netherlands, Brazil and others that have effectively mandated open source over proprietary software in civil and federal government. The U.K. recently moved to favor open-source adoption while the European Commission has recommended the adoption of open source across all European Union member countries.
The U.S. government's cautious approach to open-source software is certainly about to change, driven by the vast amount of money at stake. The US government spends nearly $12 billion a year on software alone--a figure that covers just capital investments, not the ongoing maintenance and upgrade costs. There's little doubt that open source can replace many proprietary products effectively. Ubiquitous technologies such as server software that runs data centers, database applications, operating systems and productivity suites on desktops and laptops are especially good targets. With the world in dire need of belt-tightening, this is an opportune time to invest in open source and pave the way for greater innovation while drastically lowering expenses.
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