The economic impact of Open Source software will be discussed with parliamentarians and senior government officials on Wednesday 12th September at the Westminster eForum, held at the Palace of Westminster. Open Source community leaders Alan Cox, developer of the Linux Kernel, and Mark Taylor, President of the Open Source Consortium, will contrast the popularity of Open Source technologies in industry and with its limited adoption in the public sector.
Real world case studies of how Open Source technologies can be used in the enterprise will be offered by IT Executives from global retailer, Specsavers, and hotel group, Malmaison.
With seven out of ten public sector IT projects failing, the Open Source industry is seen as providing a viable alternative to the established vendors of proprietary software.
A representative from Microsoft will also attend the forum to stress the advantages of why public sector bodies should continue to use proprietary software.
Mark Taylor, President of the OSC said:
Public sector IT procurement is
unsustainable. Millions is spent every year on proprietary software that
rarely delivers. Open Source software and the industry that has grown up
around it provide secure, affordable technology solutions without lock-in.
About Westminster eForum
The Westminster eForum aims to provide the premier environment where parliamentarians, senior policy advisors, regulators and other decision makers can discuss critical issues, and exchange ideas and information with leaders from industry, responsible interest groups, analysts, academics, journalists and others.
About the Open Source Consortium
The Open Source Consortium (OSC) represents the Open Source business community in the UK. The OSC currently has over 80 members – more than any other Open Source software business consortium in Europe.
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