OSS:Government Policies

Governments Considering OSS Policies

Table of Governments Considering OSS Policies & Legislation

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is one of the agencies exploring the policy implication of OSS in the Federal govenment. To develop recommendations, CSIS has tabulated an extensive chart of OSS software policies and legislation considered by national, regional and local government around the world. These policies include

• Mandating the use of OSS
• Expressing a preference for OSS
• Encouraging the use of OSS
• Commissioning research into OSS

Motivations for these initiatives include

• Displeasure with the US lead in the software industry
• Hope that OSS can spur an indigenous software industry
• Cost reduction for IT purchases
• Encouragement of IT adoption in society

A noteworthy point is that purchasing decisions in the favour of OSS has not been recorded as policies, since they could have been made solely on the basis of price or product. Also note that US is among the 45 countries listed - both DoD and OMB has issued advisories about OSS's usage in the respective departments.