This is a work in progress - please contribute

This is a project to build a repository of information and guidance on the introduction of Ubuntu/Linux in the UK workplace/enterprise.

Useful information supporting the introduction of FLOSS into business has been highlighted.

Key Arguments for Moving to Open Source (All Documents and Research)

1. Using open source saves money over the long term costs of ownership (EU)
2. Open Office has as many of the features needed by public offices as MS Office (EU)
3. Using open source software avoids vendor lock in saving businesses money in support costs (Cabinet Office)
4. Open source software is built on open standards as required by UK Govt. (Cabinet Office)
5. Access to the source code of a software makes it more flexible and reduces the problems found in legacy software. (Cabinet Office)

EU Study on the Economic Impact of Open Source in the EU ICT Sector

• Our findings show that, in almost all cases, a transition towards open source [produces] savings in the long term cost of ownership,
• Open Office has all the functionalities that public offices need to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations,
• Open Office is free and extremely stable.
• The existing base of quality FLOSS applications with reasonable quality control and distribution would cost firms almost Euro 12 billion to reproduce internally
• Defined broadly, FLOSS-related services could reach a 32% share of all IT services by 2010, and the FLOSS-related share of the economy could reach 4% of European GDP by 2010.

• FLOSS potentially saves industry over 36% in software R&D investment that can result in increased profits or be more usefully spent in further innovation.

Final Report. Study on the Economic impact of open source software on innovation and the competitiveness of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector in the EU. Final Report. Nov. 20, 2006. R.A. Ghosh, UNU-MERIT, NL. et al., 287 pp. European Commission Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry

Guidance to Government Organisations

• UK Government will consider OSS solutions alongside proprietary ones in IT procurements. Contracts will be awarded on a value for money basis.
• UK Government will only use products for interoperability that support open standards and specifications in all future IT developments.
• UK Government will seek to avoid lock-in to proprietary IT products and services.
• UK Government will consider obtaining full rights to bespoke software code or customisations of COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) software it procures wherever this achieves best value for money.

• Publicly funded R&D projects which aim to produce software outputs shall specify a proposed software exploitation route at the start of the project. At the completion of the project, the software shall be exploited either commercially or within an academic community or as OSS.2

Open Source Software Use within UK Government Cabinet Office e-Government Unit

Analysis of the Impact of Open Source Software on UK Government

• ...OSS has shown that access to software’s source code is a major enabler of flexibility, and hence reduces legacy problems considerably
• Many of the Government’s risks that arise from over-dependence on proprietary protocols and data formats for interoperability can be controlled by the selective use of open data standards.
• The existence of an OSS reference implementation of a data standard has often accelerated the adoption of such standards, and we recommend that the Government consider selective sponsorship of OSS reference implementations.
• The differences between OSS and proprietary software are not a major factor in either improving or degrading the vulnerability of a nation’s IT infrastructure.
• OSS obviously saves licensing costs, and will probably offer a wider (and hence cheaper) range of suppliers for support.

Analysis of the Impact of Open Source Software Cabinet Office e-Government Unit

The report does make reference to the immaturity of Linux on the desktop. Although this report was written in 2001 - a veritable lifetime in Linux development - and suggested a reassessment (which didn't happen). For this reason these points are not included. I've tried to dwell on key points that have not changed. ChrisRowson

Study Into an Enterprise Wide Open Source deployment

• Moving from proprietary and Microsoft software saved £13 Million over 5 years. This is in spite of the fact that Beaumont hospital was already receiving Windows at academic licensing prices.

Open Source Software can Improve the Health of the Bank Balance - The Beaumont Hospital Experience

Study Into the Introduction of Open Source in Schools

• Moving to a OSS environment decreases total cost of ownership, decreases support costs and increases reliability.

Open source software in schools - A study of the spectrum of use and related ICT infrastructure costs 'Becta British Educational Communications and Technology Agency'

UK Organisations Promoting Open Source

News Items on Organisations Migrating to Open Source (Newest First)

N.Y.S.E. Places Buy on Linux, Hold on Unix -"The New York Stock Exchange is investing heavily in x86-based Linux systems and blade servers as it builds out the NYSE Hybrid Market trading system that it launched last year. Flexibility and lower cost are among the goals. But one of the things that NYSE Euronext CIO Steve Rubinow says he most wants from the new computing architecture is technology independence." (December 14, 2007)

Hospital software vendor McKesson uses Linux to heal IT budgets - "The cure for IT cost bloat: moving many of McKesson's medical software applications to Linux, which could then be used on less expensive commodity hardware instead of expensive mainframes." (December 11, 2007)

The Japanese Government Looks to go Open Source - "...the country's government [plans] to make Linux and open source a priority for all IT procurements, starting this July. The central government of Japan says it plans to spend around $1.25 trillion yen, or $10.4 billion, on IT over the next year. The government has said explicitly it wants to decrease its reliance on Microsoft as a server operating system platform." (May 09, 2007)

The French Say Au Revoir to Microsoft Software - "The French parliament has said au revoir to Microsoft Relevant Products/Services. Starting in June of next year, French deputies will use desktops and servers running Linux, Mozilla's Firefox Web browser, and OpenOffice.org, a free open-source alternative to Microsoft's Office software." (November 28, 2006)

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