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Government can't ignore open source any longer

Tags:
Government,
George Osborne,
Open Source

George Osborne, shadow chancellor

Published: 08 Mar 2007 14:17 GMT

...of Extremadura migrated 70,000 desktops and 400 servers in its schools to open-source software. It has calculated that this decision has already saved them over £10m. In 2001, the German parliament ruled that open-source software should be used wherever doing so would cut costs without compromising standards.

And in Holland, 10 cities, including Amsterdam, The Hague and Eindhoven, have begun implementing open-source evaluation projects. Here in the UK, some public bodies have already shown what can be achieved. A recent DfES report found that, on average, primary schools using open-source software cut their IT costs per PC by 50 percent.

They're not alone. Bristol City Council, Bridgend County Council and many other bodies have also used open-source software to cut costs while meeting their IT requirements.

Adopting open-source software in government departments does not necessarily mean having to stop using Microsoft products. That's not where the real savings lie. Many open-source software applications are used for "back-room" operations, such as databases and infrastructure — and Microsoft is actively engaging with the open-source movement.

So this is not about being anti-Microsoft. Microsoft is an important and valued employer in the UK. What it is about is better and more effective government. A 2004 report by the Office for Government Commerce concluded that the "adoption of open-source software can generate significant savings in hardware and software costs for infrastructure implementation".

But sadly I can tell you today that those savings have not been realised. In recent months, Conservative MPs have put down parliamentary questions that reveal most central governments departments make use of no open-source software whatsoever.

What's going wrong? The problem is that the cultural change has not taken place in government. There isn't a level playing field for open-source software. As it stands, too many companies are frozen out of government IT contracts, stifling competition and driving up costs. Not a single open-source company is included in Catalyst, the government's list of approved IT suppliers.

And small companies often find it much too difficult to access government contracts. Of course there will be occasions when open source is not the optimal solution, but unless it is being properly considered, the government will continue to lose out.

Another problem has been the lack of open standards in government IT procurement. All too often, a government IT system is incompatible with other types of software, which stifles competition and hampers innovation.

Looking at the litany of IT projects that have collapsed or spiralled over budget, it's clear too that this has meant billions of pounds wasted and public service reform being hampered.

The government's entire approach needs to be overhauled. Taking into account the experience of companies and public sector bodies, it is estimated that the government could save at least 5 percent of its annual IT bill if more open-source software was used as part of a more effective procurement strategy. That adds up to over £600m a year.

The open-source savings would come not just from reduced licensing costs, but importantly by freeing government bodies from long-term, monopoly supply situations. I recognise that achieving these savings will not be easy. But it can be done. As we've seen, other countries already are.

It will mean introducing best practice benchmarks. Ensuring public-sector managers have the resources and support to meet them. Building public-sector capability so that civil servants can generate real commercial leverage from open source. And overhauling Office of Government Commerce procurement rules so they reflect the potential benefits of using an open-source approach.

I want us to be able to start implementing these changes from day one of a Conservative government. That is why I am today asking Mark Thompson of the Judge Business School at Cambridge University to advise us on how we can make Britain the open source leader in Europe. Mark is an independent voice with no political agenda, a respected academic, and a practitioner in this dynamic field. He'll be helping us develop the detailed procurement strategy that will enable a future Conservative government to harness open-source software, just as companies and governments all over the world are already doing: empowering individuals, improving public services, strengthening our political system.

These are the potential benefits to politics and government of harnessing open-source politics. They are part of a new political settlement for our age.

But I'm sensible enough to recognise that I don't have all the answers. The internet age is transforming politics and has the capacity to transform government. I'm now looking forward to harnessing the wisdom of this particular crowd, and hearing your thoughts on how you think politics and government needs to change in the internet age. Let's start being open source right now. Thank you.