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Open Source Software
and the
Australian Government
Brian Catto
Director, Governance and Policy Branch
Australian Government Information Management Office
Department of Finance and Deregulation
th
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November 2011
Outline - 1
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• About AGIMO
• About Open Source
• Opportunities
• Considerations
• The International Landscape
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
Outline - 2
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• Australian Government Policy
• Current Open Source Software Policy
• Open Source Software Policy Principles
• Use of Open Source Software in Agencies
• Predictions for the Future
• Next Steps/More Information
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
About AGIMO
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Business group
(Australian Government Information Management Office)
Purpose
• foster the efficient and effective use of information and
communications technology (ICT) by Australian government
departments and agencies
• provides advice, tools, information and services to help Australian
government departments and agencies use ICT to improve
administration and service delivery
• works with governments and other bodies at the local, state, national
and international levels
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
About AGIMO (2)
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Leadership
• development of whole of government ICT strategies (e.g.
cloud computing strategy)
• co-ordinate governance of ICT (whole of government and
cross jurisdictional)
Procurement
• on behalf of government – desktop hardware, licenses,
telecommunications services, data centre facilities
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
About AGIMO (3)
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Operations
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Intra Government Communications Network (ICON)
FedLink
.gov.au domain naming regime across Australia
directory.gov.au – guide to structure, organisations and key
people within the Australian government
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
About AGIMO (4)
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Policy
• ICT investment management
• Internet Gateway Reduction Program
• Data Centre Strategy
• ICT staff teleworking policy
• IPv6 transition policy
• Open Source policy
• Bespoke Development policy
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
About AGIMO (5)
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Advice
• Australian Government Architecture framework
• Better Practice Guidelines
• Security and Authentication standards
• Australians’ use of the internet and e-government services
(annual study)
• web publishing and web content accessibility guidelines
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
About AGIMO
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Service Delivery
• australia.gov.au – online entry point for government
information
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
About AGIMO
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Service Delivery
• data.gov.au – online repository of public sector datasets
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About AGIMO
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Service Delivery
• govdex.gov.au – secure online collaboration for government
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
About AGIMO
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Service Delivery
• govspace.gov.au – online social media platform
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
About AGIMO
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Service Delivery
• AGIMO Blog – agimo.govspace.gov.au - announcements
from AGIMO
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
Open Source Software
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• Source code that is available to view, use, modify and
redistribute (under various licensing obligations)
• Subject to copyright
• Variety of sourcing options
• Not necessarily free
• Examples …
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
Opportunities
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• Cost (usually no upfront payment)
• Encourages competitive support services market
• Encourages collaboration
• Less restrictions on software users
• Users take direct control of software maintenance and
support
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Opportunities (2)
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• Provides opportunity to try the software before committing
to it
• May reduce vendor lock-in
• Allows users to view and modify the source code
• Users can rapidly take advantage of improved functionality
from new releases
• Increases interoperability
• Is usually modular
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
Considerations
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• Total cost of ownership (aka whole of life costs)
• Warranties/Indemnities
• Support and Maintenance
• Maturity (Stability)
• Need for Customisation
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
Considerations (2)
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• Community
• Portability
• Training for users
• Release Management
• Innovation
• Reliability
• Liability
• Restrictions on Use
• Licensing
Obligations
• Re-Use
• Security
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
The International Landscape
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Brazil – referenced in Gershon 2.12.7 :
• “….determined to effectively use the latest ICT
technologies…..”;
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“….making some of the world’s largest investment in open
source software.”
– Nov 2003 – encourage use of OSS
– 2005 – 300,000 gov computers switched from MS to Linux
– 2006 – supporting locally produced open source products
– 2008 – 73% of large companies use OSS
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
The International Landscape
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UK
• 2010 - Release of “Open Source, Open Standards and
ReUse: Government Action Plan”.
• UK government will actively and fairly consider open source
solutions alongside proprietary solutions in making
procurement decisions
• Where there is no significant monetary difference, open
source products will be selected due to their “inherent
flexibility”
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
The International Landscape
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USA
• 2003 – Dept of Defense approved use of open source
software (subject to meeting security standards)
• Current policy mandates that open source solutions must be
considered. Policy states that both OSS and non-OSS are
equally acceptable, and that a decision should be made
based on merit. “OSS neutral”
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
The International Landscape
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Canada
• Several city administrations (eg Edmonton) and Federal
departments use OSS, but no clear Federal policy regarding
OSS
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
The International Landscape
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New Zealand
• NZ Government Agencies are encouraged to assess open
source software alternatives (where these exist) alongside
commercial software, and should choose based on cost,
functionality, interoperability, and security.
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
The International Landscape
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Other Countries
• Many countries have open source policies
• Some (such as Argentina and Ecuador) mandate use of open
source for all government agencies
• Most (such as Belgium) recommend consideration of open
source and proprietary software looking for best fit and value
for money
• Some (such as Cambodia and China) require government
departments to show a preference for Open Source
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
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Australian Government Position on
Open Source Software - 2005
• Informed Neutrality
• An unbiased position that does not favour either open source
or proprietary software.
• ‘Value for money’
• In accordance with the Commonwealth Procurement
Guidelines (CPGs).
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
Australian Government Policy - 2011
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• Australian Government agencies must consider
open source software once a decision to acquire
software has been made.
• Agreed by Secretaries’ ICT Governance Board
(SIGB) on 21 December 2010 and applied to any
ICT procurement initiated after 1 March 2011
• Subject to opt-out (Process for Administration of
Opt-Outs from Whole-of Government ICT
Arrangements): Agencies must go to Expenditure
Review Committee (ERC) to opt-out of policy
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
Open Source Software Policy Principles
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Principle 1: Australian Government ICT procurement
processes must actively and fairly consider all types of
available software.
> $80K – Procurement Plan, RFT
< $80K – Document decision
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
Open Source Software Policy Principles
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Principle 2: Suppliers must consider all types of
available software when dealing with Australian
Government agencies.
Agencies  Tender documentation
Suppliers  RFT responses
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
Open Source Software Policy Principles
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Principle 3: Australian Government agencies will
actively participate in open source software
communities and contribute back where appropriate.
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Use of Open Source Software within
the Australian Government
• AGIMO surveys all agencies annually
• 2011 survey showed almost 60 agencies were
using open source software
• 2011 survey showed over 750 open source
implementations with over 200 products in use
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
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Use of Open Source Software within
the Australian Government
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Open source is being used on many platforms including
Windows, Solaris, Unix and Mac
Applications include
–web platforms (such as Apache)
– operating systems (such as RedHat Linux)
– Geospatial applications (such as GeoNetwork)
– web browsers (such as Mozilla Firefox)
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“Australia is one of the countries that stands out
for its OSS activity, particularly the participation of
its communities on both a national and
international level.”
Report on the International Status of Open Source Software 2010
National Open Source Software Observatory
(www.cenatic.es)
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
The Future
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AGIMO will continue to monitor OSS usage within government
and will review the effectiveness of the new policy in the first
half of 2012
Gartner predicts:
– By 2016, 50% of leading non-IT organisations will use OSS as a
business strategy to gain competitive advantage
– By 2016, OSS will be included in mission-critical software portfolios
within 99% of Global 2000 enterprises (compared with 75% in 2010)
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
Further Information
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Guide to Open Source Software for Australian
Government Agencies
• Updated version released June 2011 (available from Finance
website)
Open Source Software Community of Interest
• Information sharing forum for members of the APS
• Meets several times a year
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
Contact
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• Email: architecture@finance.gov.au
• Finance Website: http://www.finance.gov.au/egovernment/strategy-and-governance/Whole-of-GovernmentICT-Policies.html
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
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Thank you
Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)