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Eurostat considers to publish more open source tools using EUPL
,----[ Quote ]
| Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Communities, is considering
| to release three more of its tools using the EUPL. The bureau in Luxembourg
| this summer published its Business Cycle Clock application using the open
| source licence written by the European Commission.
|
| The Business Cycle Clock is a visual tool offering easy to use access to key
| economic indicators within Europe. The application is based on a tool
| developed over the past three years by Statistics Netherlands. "Eurostat did
| not use the exact same code, but they have used the same concepts to create
| their own application", says the Dutch developer Thom Werkhoven, who helped
| Eurostat in Luxembourg. The software itself was built by external developers
| Werkhoven said.
`----
http://www.osor.eu/news/eurostat-considers-to-publish-more-open-source-tools-using-eupl
BE: Open source adoption is often bottom-up, Ph.D study says
,----[ Quote ]
| Internal expertise is one of the most important reasons for organisations to
| adopt open source software, says Kris Ven, postdoctoral researcher at the
| Department of Management Information Systems of the University of
| Antwerp. "It is often an employee that recognises the potential of open
| source and suggests it to the organisation."
|
| These employees commonly have developed their open source skills outside the
| organisation. Using this expertise offers organisations an efficient way to
| come into contact with open source software, Ven says. The researcher
| presented a summary of his Ph.D research during a workshop organised by the
| University of Antwerp, Belgium, on 3 December.
`----
http://www.osor.eu/news/be-open-source-adoption-is-often-bottom-up-ph.d-study-says
Recent:
Guidelines on software tenders 'useful'
,----[ Quote ]
| Government representatives and organisations involved in software tenders in
| Hungary, Latvia and the Netherlands say last month's IDABC report 'Guidelines
| on public procurement and Open Source Software' is useful.
|
| According to the report software tenders by European public administrations
| often may fall foul of EU regulations, favouring proprietary applications.
`----
http://www.osor.eu/news/guidelines-on-software-tenders-useful
Council does not want to provide its contract with Microsoft, destroys study on
Open Source
,----[ Quote ]
| Marco Cappato MEP asked the Council to provide him the contract concluded by
| the Council and Microsoft, and the Study on the Open Source realized by the
| interinstitutional committee on informatics in 2005. The Council refused to
| supply these documents.
`----
http://www.digitalmajority.org/forum/t-103090/council-does-not-want-to-provide-its-contract-with-microsoft-destroys-study-on-open-source
Many software tenders in EU maybe 'illegal'
,----[ Quote ]
| Software tenders by European public administration often may not comply with
| EU regulations, illegally favouring proprietary applications. "These tenders
| could be protested against, and if necessary the tendering organisations
| could be taken to court", said Karel De Vriendt, head of the IDABC unit
| responsible for the Open Source Software Observatory and Repository
| (osor.eu).
`----
http://www.osor.eu/news/many-software-tenders-in-eu-illegal
Hidden cost of proprietary standards may lead to illegal tenders
,----[ Quote ]
| The hidden exit costs imposed by a previous software acquisition are a major
| reason for public administrations to tender software by naming brand names or
| specific products, which may be illegal, says a draft report by the European
| Commission's Open Source Observatory and Repository project (OSOR).
`----
http://www.osor.eu/news/hidden-cost-of-proprietary-standards-may-lead-to-illegal-tenders
Procurement and Open Source Software (2008) - draft version
,----[ Quote ]
| With the launch of the OSOR, it is natural for public administrations to want
| to try to use open source software, starting with the software that will be
| published on the OSOR.
`----
http://www.osor.eu/expert-studies/guidelines-for-public-administrations-on-procurement-and-open-source-software-2008-draft-version
Quebec government sued for buying Microsoft software
,----[ Quote ]
| Quebec's open-source software association is suing the provincial government,
| saying it is giving preferential treatment to Microsoft Corp. by buying the
| company's products rather than using free alternatives.
|
| The lawsuit by Facil was lodged with the Quebec Superior Court on July 15 and
| made public on Wednesday. In it, the group says the provincial government has
| refused to entertain competing bids from all software providers, opting
| instead to supply public-sector departments with products bought from
| proprietary vendors such as Microsoft and Oracle Corp.
`----
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/08/27/tech-quebec.html
The Tragedy of the Anti-Commons
,----[ Quote ]
| Misapplication of “value for money” requirements when purchasing software
| results in poor value for money - Government purchasing policies for software
| tend to support the creation of monopolies.
|
| Government purchasing has effects on the price paid by citizens for the
| product purchased. In some cases purchasing produces volume which permits
| scale discounts and therefore a net benefit to citizens who also purchase the
| product. However, in the case of lock in software* Government purchasing can
| create a monopoly in the software which leads to increased costs for citizen
| purchasers and a net detriment for society as a whole. It is not appropriate
| for value for money policies to be assessed on a per acquisition basis when
| software is being acquired. Doing so will almost certainly create net costs
| for the community when considered in the aggregate.
|
| [...]
|
| Government procurement can both create and reinforce a monopoly in goods and
| services which it is acquiring. Anecdotal evidence suggests that bureaucrats
| look at “value for money” type formulae and assess it against the cost to
| Government on a purchase-by-purchase basis. This approach is fine in respect
| of goods and services which are easily substitutable (such as hammers,
| screws, cars etc). In respect of goods which are specifically designed to
| prevent substitutability - eg devices which are not designed to be
| interoperable it is an extremely hazardous approach. If those goods also tend
| to be a natural monopoly (such as software in general, but particularly that
| which is designed not to be interoperable) this approach is absolutely the
| wrong one.
`----
http://brendanscott.wordpress.com/2008/04/23/tradegy-of-the-anti-commons/
Interview with NOiV's Maarten Wijnen-Meijer on Study on Gov't Acquisition of OS
Software - Pick Your Brains
,----[ Quote ]
| A Dutch study has recently been translated and published in English, "The
| acquisition of (open-source) software", by Nederland Open in Verbinding
| (NOiV), which finds that in Europe, gratis software does not require
| tendering and so gratis Open Source software can be freely downloaded without
| having to go through the usual purchase process. If service is required, that
| service would, however, require going through the normal purchasing process,
| but as a separate matter.
`----
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20080420111512402
NL: Use of Open Source software requires no European IT tenders
,----[ Quote ]
| European public administrations that want to use software that is offered for
| free, such as Open Source software, do not need to organise a call for
| tender.
|
| [...]
|
| According to Wijnen-Meijer the translation is well-received. "At a recent
| Open Source conference in the US, copies were picked up quickly by companies.
| We also have had requests from cities and ministries in Germany and Greece."
`----
http://ec.europa.eu/idabc/en/document/7549
Related:
My Visit to Sun
,----[ Quote ]
| Phipps went on to say that one of the main reasons prospects and customers
| are uncomfortable with this open source approach is that it fails to align
| with their expectations of how software is obtained. They're so accustomed to
| the bid/procurement process accompanied by the stereotypical sales rep
| proffering half-truths about the product that they literally feel anxious
| when offered the gift of free software. Furthermore, they're so used to an
| adversarial relationship with sales reps that they are bewildered about how
| to respond to a sales approach that is more collaborative and focused on user
| satisfaction, which is, of course, a prerequisite when what you sell is
| support.
`----
http://advice.cio.com/bernard_golden/my_visit_to_sun
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