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Interesting article just popped up on Techweek. Rather than link it,
I'll post the article here:<br>
<br>
<p style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color:
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-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255); ">The<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a
title="digital.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/2012/04/26/open-standards-consultation-important-update/"
href="http://digital.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/2012/04/26/open-standards-consultation-important-update/"
target="_blank" style="outline-style: initial; outline-width:
0px; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px;
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vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(114,
115, 161); ">Cabinet Office has confirmed</a><span
class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>that the government’s<span
class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span
class="wp_keywordlink" style="outline-style: initial;
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initial; font-weight: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><a
href="http://www.eweekeurope.co.uk/tag/open-source"
title="Open Source" style="outline-style: initial;
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inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;
color: rgb(114, 115, 161); ">open source</a></span><span
class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>consultation process has
been extended, after a conflict of interest was discovered.</p>
<p style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color:
initial; margin-top: -0.8em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom:
1.6em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px;
padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px;
border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px;
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12px; font-family: Helvetica, Tahoma, Geneva, 'Arial Narrow',
Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(61, 61,
61); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing:
normal; line-height: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: left;
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal;
widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255); ">The consultation process,<span
class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a
title="cabinet-office-launches-open-standards-consultation"
href="http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/cabinet-office-launches-open-standards-consultation-60033"
style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px;
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font-weight: bold; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit;
vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(114,
115, 161); ">launched in february</a>, calls on the IT community
to define ‘‘open standards’ for government, a process seen as
crucial to getting open source methods more widely used in the
public sector. However, the results of the consultation’s first
round table have had to be scrapped, because the facilitator,
Andrew Hopkirk of the National Computing Centre (NCC) had not
disclosed a link with Microsoft.</p>
<h2 style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px;
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font-weight: inherit; font-size: 1.5em; font-family: Helvetica,
Tahoma, Geneva, 'Arial Narrow', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align:
baseline; line-height: 1; color: rgb(61, 61, 61); font-style:
normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2;
text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;
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background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Microsoft Link</h2>
<p style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color:
initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.6em;
margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px;
padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px;
border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px;
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initial; border-image: initial; font-weight: normal; font-size:
12px; font-family: Helvetica, Tahoma, Geneva, 'Arial Narrow',
Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(61, 61,
61); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing:
normal; line-height: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: left;
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal;
widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255); ">The round table, on behalf of ICT Futures on Competition
and European Interaction on 4 April, was criticised for allowing
spokespeople for big vendors to argue in favour of paid-for
software, specifically giving advocates of FRAND (free reasonable
and non-discriminatory) the chance to argue that free software on
RF (royalty free) terms would be a bad thing.</p>
<p style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color:
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1.6em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px;
padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px;
border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px;
border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color:
initial; border-image: initial; font-weight: normal; font-size:
12px; font-family: Helvetica, Tahoma, Geneva, 'Arial Narrow',
Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(61, 61,
61); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing:
normal; line-height: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: left;
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal;
widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255); ">In a<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a
title="Linda Humphries open standards blog"
href="http://digital.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/2012/04/12/are-open-standards-a-closed-barrier/"
style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px;
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font-weight: bold; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit;
vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(114,
115, 161); ">blog</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>after
the event, the Cabinet Office’s open standards official, Linda
Humphries said “The majority of the attendees considered that open
standards, as defined in the policy, would close down the
Government’s ability to benefit from an alternative standards
development model and limit our choice – not least because they
considered that the definition excludes standards that are made
available on Fair, Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory (FRAND)
terms.”</p>
<p style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color:
initial; margin-top: -0.8em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom:
1.6em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px;
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border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px;
border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color:
initial; border-image: initial; font-weight: normal; font-size:
12px; font-family: Helvetica, Tahoma, Geneva, 'Arial Narrow',
Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(61, 61,
61); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing:
normal; line-height: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: left;
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal;
widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255); ">Now, a new blog from <a
title="government-names-open-source-guru-as-tech-advisor"
href="http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/government-names-open-source-guru-as-tech-advisor-32796"
style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px;
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initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial;
font-weight: bold; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit;
vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(114,
115, 161); ">Liam Maxwell</a>, Deputy Government CIO, has
revised that. Andy Hopkirk was engaged by the Cabinet Office as an
independent facilitator on a pro-bono basis. After objections were
raised, he<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a
title="Andy Hopkirk blog"
href="http://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/An-insiders-view-on-the-government-open-standards-consultation"
style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px;
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initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial;
font-weight: bold; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit;
vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(114,
115, 161); ">blogged</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>a
response for Computer Weekly.</p>
<br>
<p style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color:
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1.6em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px;
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border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px;
border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color:
initial; border-image: initial; font-weight: normal; font-size:
12px; font-family: Helvetica, Tahoma, Geneva, 'Arial Narrow',
Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(61, 61,
61); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing:
normal; line-height: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: left;
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal;
widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255); ">“Dr Hop<a
href="http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/open-source-for-competitive-advantage-survey-claims-20376/attachment/open-source-software"
rel="attachment wp-att-20392" style="outline-style: initial;
outline-width: 0px; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px;
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;
padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;
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0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px;
border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image:
initial; font-weight: bold; font-size: 12px; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; color:
rgb(114, 115, 161); "><img class="alignleft size-medium
wp-image-20392" title="Open Source Software"
src="cid:part7.08070709.07000606@googlemail.com" alt=""
style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px;
outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px;
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px;
padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px;
border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px;
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border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image:
initial; font-weight: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial;
border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color:
initial; float: left; " height="105" width="185"></a>kirk is a
respected advocate for ‘openness and interoperability of systems,
of people, processes and information technologies’,” stressed the
Cabinet Office. “He has in the past, for example, been an invited
observer at events such as Open Forum Europe.”</p>
<p style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color:
initial; margin-top: -0.8em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom:
1.6em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px;
padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px;
border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px;
border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color:
initial; border-image: initial; font-weight: normal; font-size:
12px; font-family: Helvetica, Tahoma, Geneva, 'Arial Narrow',
Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(61, 61,
61); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing:
normal; line-height: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: left;
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal;
widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255); ">“However, at the time he was engaged to facilitate the
Open Standards roundtable, while we were aware that he represented
the National Computing Centre (NCC) on the Microsoft
Interoperability Executive Customer Council (along with 40 other
CIOs/CTOs across the public and private sector who participate in
a voluntary capacity) he did not declare the fact that he was
advising Microsoft directly on the Open Standards consultation,”
said the Cabinet Office.</p>
<p style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color:
initial; margin-top: -0.8em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom:
1.6em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px;
padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px;
border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px;
border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color:
initial; border-image: initial; font-weight: normal; font-size:
12px; font-family: Helvetica, Tahoma, Geneva, 'Arial Narrow',
Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(61, 61,
61); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing:
normal; line-height: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: left;
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal;
widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255); ">“When this came to our attention we asked Dr Hopkirk for
an explanation and he has told us that he has ‘not been paid to
specifically write their response to the Open Standards
consultation but he is engaged to help them tease out the
issues’,” said the Cabinet Office.</p>
<p style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color:
initial; margin-top: -0.8em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom:
1.6em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px;
padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px;
border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px;
border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color:
initial; border-image: initial; font-weight: normal; font-size:
12px; font-family: Helvetica, Tahoma, Geneva, 'Arial Narrow',
Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(61, 61,
61); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing:
normal; line-height: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: left;
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal;
widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255); ">It said that this could be seen as a clear conflict of
interest and should have been declared by the relevant parties at
that meeting.</p>
<p style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color:
initial; margin-top: -0.8em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom:
1.6em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px;
padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px;
border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px;
border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color:
initial; border-image: initial; font-weight: normal; font-size:
12px; font-family: Helvetica, Tahoma, Geneva, 'Arial Narrow',
Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(61, 61,
61); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing:
normal; line-height: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: left;
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal;
widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255); ">“For this reason any outcomes from the original roundtable
discussion will be discounted in the consultation responses and we
will rerun that session and give time for people to prepare for
it,” it said. “We will also run a teleconference as well as a
meeting to ensure that everybody has a chance to participate.”</p>
<p style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color:
initial; margin-top: -0.8em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom:
1.6em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px;
padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px;
border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px;
border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color:
initial; border-image: initial; font-weight: normal; font-size:
12px; font-family: Helvetica, Tahoma, Geneva, 'Arial Narrow',
Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(61, 61,
61); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing:
normal; line-height: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: left;
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal;
widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255); ">Furthermore the Cabinet Office declared that the
consultation will now be extended for an additional month, and
that the formal closing date for submissions will now be Monday,
4th June 2012.</p>
<p style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color:
initial; margin-top: -0.8em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom:
1.6em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px;
padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px;
border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px;
border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color:
initial; border-image: initial; font-weight: normal; font-size:
12px; font-family: Helvetica, Tahoma, Geneva, 'Arial Narrow',
Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(61, 61,
61); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing:
normal; line-height: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: left;
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal;
widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255); ">Dr Hopkirk has defended his position, saying that he
maintains a “strict firewall” between his activities.”I do have a
longstanding relationship with Microsoft purely on the basis of my
consistently neutral, pragmatic, end-user oriented and
supplier-agnostic perspective,” he said in his Computer Weekly
blog. “I have supported, and continue to support, open markets,
open standards and free/open source software for their
contributions to furthering interoperability and IT market
competition. ”</p>
<h2 style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px;
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font-weight: inherit; font-size: 1.5em; font-family: Helvetica,
Tahoma, Geneva, 'Arial Narrow', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align:
baseline; line-height: 1; color: rgb(61, 61, 61); font-style:
normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2;
text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;
white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;
-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;
background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Industry Concerns</h2>
<p style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color:
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initial; border-image: initial; font-weight: normal; font-size:
12px; font-family: Helvetica, Tahoma, Geneva, 'Arial Narrow',
Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(61, 61,
61); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing:
normal; line-height: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: left;
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal;
widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255); ">There are some concerns over the level of<span
class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a
title="open-source-community-welcomes-government-support"
href="http://www.eweekeurope.co.uk/news/open-source-community-welcomes-government-support-9994"
style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px;
outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px;
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px;
padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px;
border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px;
border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style:
initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial;
font-weight: bold; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit;
vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(114,
115, 161); ">government commitment to open source</a>,
especially after a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the BBC
last September revealed that most government departments<span
class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a
title="uk-government-flounders-in-commitment-to-open-source"
href="http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/uk-government-flounders-in-commitment-to-open-source-38723"
style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px;
outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px;
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px;
padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px;
border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px;
border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style:
initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial;
font-weight: bold; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit;
vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(114,
115, 161); ">still spend the lion’s share of their IT budgets on
software from big-name vendors</a>, such as Microsoft and
Oracle, rather than seeking cheaper open source alternatives.</p>
<p style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color:
initial; margin-top: -0.8em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom:
1.6em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px;
padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px;
border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px;
border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color:
initial; border-image: initial; font-weight: normal; font-size:
12px; font-family: Helvetica, Tahoma, Geneva, 'Arial Narrow',
Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(61, 61,
61); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing:
normal; line-height: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: left;
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal;
widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255); ">This concern is not helped as basic points on the
government ICT policy have so far remained unclear, including what
is meant by an open standard. The way in which “open standard” is
defined is crucial, because standards accepted as “open” by some
may be effectively unusable by others.</p>
<p style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color:
initial; margin-top: -0.8em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom:
1.6em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px;
padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px;
border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px;
border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color:
initial; border-image: initial; font-weight: normal; font-size:
12px; font-family: Helvetica, Tahoma, Geneva, 'Arial Narrow',
Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(61, 61,
61); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing:
normal; line-height: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: left;
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal;
widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255); ">The government announced<span
class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a
title="government-publishes-open-source-procurement-advice"
href="http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/government-publishes-open-source-procurement-advice-44807"
style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px;
outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px;
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px;
padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px;
border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px;
border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style:
initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial;
font-weight: bold; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit;
vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(114,
115, 161); ">its support for open standards in IT procurement in
November</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>last
year. The open source and open standards drive in the UK mirrors
current European thinking on the matter, as the European Union is<span
class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a
title="eu-pushes-open-egovernment-services-concept"
href="http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/eu-pushes-open-egovernment-services-concept-46501"
style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px;
outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px;
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px;
padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px;
border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px;
border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style:
initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial;
font-weight: bold; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit;
vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(114,
115, 161); ">currently pushing the open eGovernment services
concept strongly</a>.</p>
<p style="outline-width: 0px; margin: -0.8em 0px 1.6em; padding:
0px; border-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px;
font-family: Helvetica,Tahoma,Geneva,'Arial
Narrow',Arial,sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(61,
61, 61); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing:
normal; line-height: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: left;
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal;
widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255);">In March 2011,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a
title="government-cost-cutting-strategy-embraces-open-source"
href="http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/government-cost-cutting-strategy-embraces-open-source-25311"
style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px;
outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px;
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px;
padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px;
border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px;
border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style:
initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial;
font-weight: bold; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit;
vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(114,
115, 161); ">the government revealed its ICT strategy</a>, which
committed it to creating a common IT infrastructure based on a
suite of compulsory open standards, and adopting<span
class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a
title="government-says-open-standards-should-be-royalty-free"
href="http://www.eweekeurope.co.uk/news/government-says-open-standards-should-be-royalty-free-39453"
style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px;
outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px;
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px;
padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px;
border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px;
border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style:
initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial;
font-weight: bold; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit;
vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(114,
115, 161); ">appropriate open standards</a>wherever possible.<br>
</p>
<p style="outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color:
initial; margin-top: -0.8em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom:
1.6em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px;
padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px;
border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px;
border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color:
initial; border-image: initial; font-weight: normal; font-size:
12px; font-family: Helvetica, Tahoma, Geneva, 'Arial Narrow',
Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(61, 61,
61); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing:
normal; line-height: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: left;
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal;
widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255); "><br>
</p>
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