Open source software could be used more broadly in government agencies, concluded a seminar that investigated the merits and challenges of open source organised by the National Office for the Information Economy in Canberra yesterday.
Speakers, who gave presentations from a number of perspectives, included representatives from the Australian Unix Users Group (AUUG), the Department of Veterans' Affairs, the Bureau of Meteorology, Microsoft and analyst firm Gartner. The Department of Veterans' Affairs and Centrelink have both initiated programs involving the use of open source software, while the Bureau of Meteorology is using open source in a spatial imaging application.
Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Richard Alston, reportedly dismissed speculation that the use of open source software might be mandated for Australian government departments, instead saying the government will assist agencies to "seriously consider all alternatives" in their IT purchasing decisions.
The seminar focused on Linux based operating systems and applications. Around 150 delegates attended, 100 from the public sector and the others representing vendors.
A statement issued from NOIE's office read, "The Commonwealth procurement framework allows agencies to implement open source software where it provides a value-for-money solution to their needs.
Commonwealth agencies already use open source software for some specialised functions, but it has the potential to be used more broadly."