Governments across the world are implementing Free/Libre and Open Source Software. This presentation highlights some key factors to assist Governments to achieving their FLOSS objectives.

1. Presentation by:
N ico Elema
GOVERNMENT OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE RESOURCE
CENTRE – GOV-OSS-RC www.gossrc.org
THE USE OF FLOSS IN
GOVERNMENTS
The use of FLOSS in Governments by Nico Elema is
licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike
3.0 Unported License.
www.gossrc.org

2. GOVERMENT OPEN
SOURCE SOFTWARE
RESOURCE CENTRE
www.gossrc.org

3. Where did it all begin?

4. GOV-OSS-RC Endorsements
● University of the Western Cape
(South Africa)
● Free Software and Open Source
Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA)
● Open Source Software Institute
(USA)
● Government Open Source
Conference GOSCON

5. What do we do?
Helping you access
information on how
Governments, from around the
world, are using Free/Libre
and Open Source Software

6. What do we do?
Collect information on global
level.
Training
Research

7. GOV-OSS-RC Research
ENTERPRISE GIS
Proprietary Solution: FLOSS Solution
•
MS SQL; Oracle; PostgreSQL •
PostgreSQL (database)
(database) •
PostGIS (spatially enables PostgreSQL)
•
ArcGIS Server – Standard (SDE + •
Mapserver (Internet map generator)
Map serving on web) •
MapWindow GIS/Quantum GIS (desktop
•
ArcEditor (1 license)(Edit maps on GIS analysis and capture)
desktop)
•
ArcView ( 15 nonc licenses (3 per LA))
for Desktop analysis
•
15 non-concurrent desktop users; •
Unlimited desktop and browser
unlimited browser viewers. users
•
1 GIS user that can edit data. •
GIS & Db License fees:
•
Min GIS License fees: US$0.00 (Excluding
US$ 52 500.00(excluding servers)
server and Database software)

9. Syndication contributors
* Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA)
and mailing lists
* GOSCON (USA)
* NRCFOSS - India
* Open Source Industry Australia
* OSOR.eu – Open Source Observatory and Repository (Europe)
* ossa.org.za (SA)
* OSSI News and Updates (USA)
* Tectonic (SA)
* UKGovOSS.org (UK)

11. Is it possible to report on Government FLOSS use
per country?
It is possible to report on focus areas and lessons
learnt

12. Source: Redhat.com

13. It is possible to report on focus areas and lessons
learnt

14. Focus of governments and pressure groups
Developing FLOSS policies
Promote open standards
Procurement – levelling the
playing field

15. FLOSS Policy

16. Why do gov need FLOSS Policy?
India 2010 (GoI):
GoI aim to make Government services accessible
to the common man in his locality and ensure
efficiency, transparency & reliability of
such services at affordable costs; in addition
to this, GoI endeavours to provide services to all
other stakeholders like public agencies and
their employees and business communities.

17. Example of a FLOSS Policy
South Africa
22 February 2007 the SA Cabinet approved the Policy
on Free and Open Source Software use for
South African Government
5 Key points and are as follows:

18. South African Government Policy on Free
and Open Source Software - 1
1) The South African Government will
implement FLOSS unless proprietary software
is demonstrated to be significantly superior.
Whenever the advantages of FLOSS and proprietary
software are comparable FLOSS will be implemented
when choosing a software solution for a new project.
Whenever FLOSS is not implemented, then reasons
must be provided in order to justify the
implementation of proprietary software.

19. South African Government Policy on Free
and Open Source Software - 2
2) The South African Government
will migrate current proprietary
software to FLOSS whenever
comparable software exists.

20. South African Government Policy on Free
and Open Source Software - 3
3) All new software developed for or
by the South African Government
will be based on open standards,
adherent to FLOSS principles, and
licensed using a FLOSS license
where possible.

21. South African Government Policy on Free
and Open Source Software - 4
4) The South African Government will
ensure all Government content and
content developed using Government
resources is made Open Content, unless
analysis on specific content shows that
proprietary licensing or confidentiality is
substantially beneficial.

22. South African Government Policy on Free
and Open Source Software - 5
5) The South African Government
will encourage the use of Open
Content and Open Standards within
South Africa.

23. LESSON 1: Governments FLOSS policy need
accountability
Internal auditing mechanisms
External pressure and
communication groups

24. Governments FLOSS policy need
accountability
Internal auditing mechanisms
Brazil – Auditor General

25. Governments FLOSS policy need
accountability
External pressure and
communication groups

26. Governments FLOSS policy need to be
accountable
External groups
Canada (Nov 2010)
L'APELL - tender number 999103730 "MIGRATION OF
WORKSTATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY
INFRASTRUCTURE CSPQ OF MSG AND SERVICES
QUÉBEC". APELL questioned the legality of the tender
awards as de facto market to multinational proprietary
software, without competition, without comparison with
the solutions in free software

27. Open Standards

28. Open Standards – News just in...
“...political parties in the Portuguese
parliament want to make the use of open
standards mandatory for public
administrations.”
Source: www.OSOR.eu

29. Promote Open Standards
Interoperability to enable the exchange
of data and harmonisation of
business transactions across
government.
Open Standards covers common
methods, data formats, concepts,
terms and document styles for the
communication, storage, processing and
presentation of data.

30. Open Standards
There are various open standards
integrating
● Systems
● Hardware
● Protocols
● File formats
● Programming languages

31. Procurement

32. Procurement
Why is procurement processes
important?

33. Companies want to do business with
government and visa-versa
CNLL** says that France's public administrations spend an amount
equal to one-tenth of the country's GDP on public procurement.
.
Source: OSOR.eu
**National Council of Free Software (CNLL), a group representing French providers
of free and open source software services

34. Bee-keeper model

35. Bee-keeper
Source: James Dixon: Pentaho

36. Source: James Dixon: Pentaho

37. Source: James Dixon: Pentaho

38. Procurement
FRANCE:
Research by OpenForum Europe, at least 20 percent
of all IT tenders are breaking the procurement rules
by requesting a single solution or technology.
Source: OSOR.eu

39. Way forward
Governments:
Create FLOSS Policies making and
make provision for Open Standards
and fair Procurement.
Possibly start with the education
systems.
Implement internal accountability
structures.

40. Way forward
I want YOU to...
support pressure and
communication
groups;
be vocal;
ask questions …
AND...

41. Way forward
I want YOU
to...
Support the GOV-
OSS-RC at
www.gossrc.org and
at LinkedIn

42. Contact information:
Nico Elema: (nico@elema.co.za)
LinkedIn: nicoelema
GOV-OSS-RC: www.gossrc.org