Open letter to Obama: Uncle Sam should go open source
A group of software vendors has published an open letter to president Obama encouraging the new administration to adopt open source software in the government's IT infrastructure. The letter says that open source software can reduce costs when implementing government technology initiatives in areas like healthcare and security.
Open source software is already broadly used by many different branches of the government. The Department of Defense, which has been exploring the benefits of open source software for years, has used Linux and open source technology in a wide range of key projects, including the Army Future Combat Systems program and the Land Warrior program. The DoD also recently launched a web site on which it hosts its open source projects.
The Obama administration has expressed interest in evaluating the potential benefits of broader open source adoption in government IT, but it's unclear if its current approach will be able to produce sound policy guidance. The open letter, published Tuesday by a group of open source vendors, could help to impress upon the new president the potential benefits of formulating a strong strategy for open source adoption.
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