This study is worth checking out and sharing with EVERYONE in the Federal Government:
Study: Federal Gov't Can Save Billions in IT Spending (PC World)
Meritalk predicting the gov't could save nearly $4 billion using open source software
From where I sit, the conclusion is obvious, open source is the way to achieve Open Government and save tax payers money, at a time when controlling wasteful spending could not be more important.
Also, the folks in the UK are really getting on board with Open Source, it's wonderful to see. Take a look at this story - Today, the UK government launched a new strategy for use of open source and open standards in Great Britain.
In summary, it:
*mandates use of open standards,
*mandates use of open source where it is not cheaper to use proprietary software,
*requires revision of procurement policies to make open source the equal of other options,
*encourages re-use of developed code - for example, by open sourcing government solutions.
We could learn a bit in the Federal Government from our friends on the other side of the pond!
