Open Source Software is based on the principle of software
products made available by the OSS developer community (which
includes commercial companies, academics and others) licensed for
use with or without a fee.
Interoperability is not now a major issue, according to the
findings, which follow a series of proof of concept trials. The OGC
believes it can generate significant savings, particularly in
conjunction with server consolidation and by delaying hardware
replacement.
It also identified potential 'green' benefits through the
prolonging of hardware life, with less resources consumed in
producing new hardware and less waste/disposal/landfill of old
machines.
Decisions, it concludes, "should be based on a holistic
assessment of future needs, taking into account total cost of
ownership, with proper consideration of both proprietary and open
source solutions."
OGC Chief Executive John Oughton said the pilot schemes provided
valuable evidence on OSS. "Effective use of IT is a crucial element
in the Government's modernisation agenda," he commented. "This
Report will assist public sector bodies in making informed,
value-for-money judgements when deciding upon which solution best
suits their needs."
The pilot schemes were carried out in partnership with IBM and
Sun Microsystems.
