Blog:  
Government and OpenSource    [ Created: 2008-09-06 21:27:28  Updated: 2017-09-11 08:24:09   Owner: rl ]
Title: Government and OpenSource
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
As a taxpayer, it is almost a no-brainer to expect the Federal and State goverments to move away from Microsoft proprietary technology to OpenSource .

The government's computing services should be web-based providing universal access to information including documents and forms. LAMP technology is the lowest-cost, most stable platform on which to provide such services.

Government services should focus on clean, simple traditional interfaces. There is no justification for it to stay on the treadmill of constantly re-engineered web technologies which do nothing more than skin the cat a different way - providing no new real value.

I don't have the numbers for how much tax-payer money is spent supporting government computer based information services, but I am confident that it is well into the billions including hardward, software and labor. Moving to LAMP technology would reduce the initial investment costs, reduce support costs and virtually eliminate forced upgrade costs.