The Open Source Dilemma for Governments

Posted by simoniker on Monday January 5, 2004 @07:36AM from the choices-for-rulers dept.

Sam Hiser writes "Tom Adelstein, open source consultant and Member of the Open Government Interoperability Project ("OGIP") working group, offers another incisive article in which he discusses the costs in the terms of lives and dollars when local governments do not deploy open standards-based software for data sharing. Asks Adelstein, 'Can local governments afford to create redundant applications to meet new Federal standards for first responder alerts, emergency services, law enforcement, broadcasters?' He posits that Open Source collaborative initiatives may provide the only solution for the US if the people want to create a safer environment."

2 of 163 comments (clear)

$56 billion... by Taboo · 2004-01-05 07:36 · Score: 0, Troll

for retrofitting of local governments to standards based applications

Big deal. That only amounts to a couple dozen B-2 bombers.
Yo wassup by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-05 07:40 · Score: 0, Troll

I work in a US government department as a sysadmin. We have a motto. We save Linux for when we're out of money. Until then, we spend spend spend on nice Sun boxes with Solaris, and Dell Poweredge servers with Windows 2003.

So thank you, fellow Slashdotters! Your tax dollars make sure I have plenty of toys to play with at work! Kthnxbye