[Gllug] Government policy changes on open source

[richard hillesley]

The UK government has announced some policy decisions relating to "open source 
software". This is a policy announcement (announced in parliament), not a 
speculative research document, so could mean some real differences, (or not) 
... some excerpts from the document that can be found at:

http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/news/newonsite/oss-policy.htm

are listed below. While it is cagey, there are some significant underlying 
statements, which might mean some real opportunities for free software:

"The Policy

The key decisions of this policy are as follows:

 UK Government will consider OSS solutions alongside proprietary ones in IT 
procurements. Contracts will be awarded on a value for money basis. 

UK Government will only use products for interoperability that support open 
standards and specifications in all future IT developments. 

UK Government will consider obtaining full rights to bespoke software code or 
customisations of COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) software it procures 
wherever this achieves best value for money. 

UK Government will explore further the possibilities of using OSS as the 
default exploitation route for Government funded R&D software. 

Justification

The justification for adopting this policy is as follows:

There is a need to always procure a solution that gives value for money. This 
may be an OSS solution, or proprietary one, or a mixture of both. Decisions 
should be made on a case by case basis 
There is a need to ensure that interoperability of systems is provided and 
maintained. The e-GIF is mandated across the public sector and compliance 
with that is essential to the provision of e-services and joined-up 
government. 
Every effort should be made to reduce the cost and risk to government systems. 
Adopting this policy helps achieve that by: 

- purchasing best value for money solutions -removing the reliance on 
individual IT suppliers

- providing more flexibility in the development, enhancement and integration 
of systems

- vesting the ownership of bespoke and tailored software code with Government.
 Security of government systems is vital. Properly configured OSS can be at 
least as secure as proprietary systems, and OSS is currently subject to fewer 
Internet attacks.  A balance needs to be struck between the availability of 
security administration skills and the advantages of many diverse systems.  
In some cases mainstream proprietary products may be significantly less 
secure than open source alternatives (see Gartner report Nimda Worm shows you 
can't always patch fast enough dated 19/9/01 by John Pescatore). "


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