Transcript Open Source and the Australian Government November 2011

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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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: [email protected]
• 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)