Open source organisations Red Hat and Linux Australia have both welcomed the Federal Government’s revised approach to dealing with open source software, which will see a more active approach taken to the technology than that used in the past.

Withdrawing from its 2005 declared position of “informed neutrality” on open source, late last week the Federal Government announced government agencies would have to consider open source software equally alongside proprietary software when buying products worth more than $80,000.

The change of policy came days after a decision of the Australian Government Information Management Office to standardise Microsoft’s Office Open XML — a rival format to the ODF standard being promoted by sections of the open source community.

However Red Hat’s managing director for Australia and New Zealand Max McLaren said in a statement that the company was pleased that AGIMO recognised the role open source software could play in solutions for Australian Government IT requirements. “The Federal Government’s new policy on open source recognises the value that solutions from open source software organizations, like Red Hat, can deliver for the Australian Government in general,” he said.

McLaren said Red Hat had already had a presence in Canberra for over seven years, providing open source software solutions to both federal agencies and state government departments around the nation. He said the new policy wouldn’t only offer the Government better value for money, but it would also benefit the local open source community at large.

“AGIMO’s endorsement of Australian Government agencies’ participation and contributions to open source software communities carries great opportunity for the Australian ICT industry,” he said. “Red Hat is an open source company, but we appreciate that we do not have a monopoly on good ideas”.

McLaren said Red Hat has been growing significantly over the last decade, expanding its list of customers both in the private and public sector. He said the company encourages collaboration, as it can make for better software. “We actively encourage talented people in Government and corporate Australia to contribute their ideas to open source development communities,” he said.

“The greater the local talent, the greater the opportunity for Australia to spawn software that better satisfies the requirements of not just Australian organisations, but those around the world!”

Linux Australia President John Ferlito equally expressed his optimism, saying AGIMO’s move had good timing and would have a positive impact on the Australian open source community. He said the policy was a great move forward to give all players equal opportunities in the software-buying field.

Asked directly whether he thought the policy could involve real change in the way agencies and departments run their IT facilities, Ferlito maintained the new policy reflected the Government’s recommendations as of 2005.

“The government is already both procuring and using open source software, because in many cases it is the best tool for the job,” he said. He added the new principle will contribute to develop better software for everyone and will promote the knowledge of open source software through those departments which do not have focus on the IT.

“The advantage of a policy such as this is that it means that departments that don’t have the focus on technology and innovation have been made aware, through policy, that open source options exist, should be considered and must included in tender requests,” Ferlito said.

Image credit: Sankarshan Mukhopadhyay, Creative Commons

Tweet

• • Topic
  • Voices
  • Posts
  • Freshness
• • 77TB a month on fibre

    Started by:  Karl in: General telecommunications

  • 1
  • 1
  • 4 hours, 59 minutes ago

     Karl

  • Malcolm Turnbull, Time Traveller

    Started by:  quink in: Everything else

  • 2
  • 4
  • 1 week ago

     Karl

  • Article on 'Ultraviolet'

    Started by:  ray73864 in: Everything else

  • 2
  • 2
  • 1 week, 3 days ago

     Karl

  • Surface sells out … of its tiny amount of stock?

    Started by:  Renai LeMay in: Gadgets

  • 4
  • 4
  • 1 week, 4 days ago

     douglasrose

  • Coalition fraudband plan summary…

    Started by:  Hubert Cumberdale in: National Broadband Network

  • 4
  • 5
  • 2 weeks, 2 days ago

     JamesH1

  • NBN Is A Question Of Reliability

    Started by:  JamesH1 in: National Broadband Network

  • 1
  • 1
  • 2 weeks, 2 days ago

     JamesH1

  • Renai asked:

    Started by:  Tinman_au in: National Broadband Network

  • 1
  • 1
  • 2 weeks, 2 days ago

     Tinman_au

  • What Happened to Whirlpool posts

    Started by:  MikeK101 in: Everything else

  • 2
  • 2
  • 1 month ago

     Bob.H

  • Conroy/Turnbull NBN Debate Next Week

    Started by:  zephram in: National Broadband Network

  • 1
  • 1
  • 1 month ago

     zephram

  • Blocked from posting? Let me know

    Started by:  Renai LeMay in: Everything else

  • 2
  • 2
  • 1 month ago

     Abel Adamski

  • Falsehoods of the day

    Started by:  Karl in: National Broadband Network

  • 4
  • 5
  • 1 month, 2 weeks ago

     Anonymous

  • Is IBM selling its Network Services Division to Telstra?

    Started by:  Renai LeMay in: Everything else

  • 1
  • 1
  • 1 month, 2 weeks ago

     Renai LeMay

  • 10 Terabit NBN plan? Yes please :)

    Started by:  daniel996 in: National Broadband Network

  • 2
  • 2
  • 1 month, 3 weeks ago

     Karl

  • Renai (or anyone else?): List of working tags?

    Started by:  Tinman_au in: Everything else

  • 3
  • 6
  • 2 months ago

     midspace

  • Receiving spam from "OEMSoftware Newsletter"?

    Started by:  Renai LeMay in: Everything else

  • 4
  • 4
  • 2 months ago

     midspace

•