The pilots were run in partnership with a number of government bodies earlier this year and sought to assess the viability of using Open Source Software across central government departments and the wider public sector. A number of findings are contained in the Report including:
- Open Source Software is now a viable Desktop alternative for the majority of government users
- Interoperability is not now a major issue
- Open Source Software can generate significant savings, particularly in conjunction with Server consolidation and by delaying hardware replacement
- 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 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
“These pilots have provided us with valuable evidence on Open Source Software. They show it could support government bodies by offering efficient and cost-effective IT solutions.
Effective use of IT is a crucial element in the Government’s modernisation agenda. 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 and allowed a number of public sector bodies to assess the potential benefits Open Source Software in a ’live’ environment.
About OGC
Established in April 2000, the OGC was set up to act as a catalyst in procurement issues and to work with central civil government departments to achieve best value for money in their commercial activities. Responsible for civil central government Procurement Policy and Best Practice including Construction, Property Management, IT, Supplier Relations including opening up access to government contracts to SMEs, eCommerce including the Government Procurement Card, the Gateway Review Process and OGCbuying.solutions, which is responsible for the Government buying catalogues such as G-Cat and S-Cat and developing strategic procurement partnerships, including Framework Agreements, with the private sector.
Quelle: The Scotsman, 28.10.2004
