Open Source gets big boost.
The Brazilian government recently announced plans to divest itself of most
if not all commercial software, including operating systems, productivity
packages, and various technology tools. They have decided that enough
is enough and no longer want to be held to Commercial Software
packages that in some cases don't perform as advertised, have hidden costs,
and are not easily integrated into their overall technology objectives.
Open Source Helps Defending The Net
Many organizations, not just those the size of a government, are taking
similar steps. Here at Defending The Net, we use Open Source tools
whenever possible. It gives us the ability to seamlessly integrate
all our various services. And since many of the packages we use have no
out-of-pocket costs, costs are typically limited to development and
integration.
The Open Source community has grown in such size that just about everything
available commercially is available for free to the public. From
operating systems such as Linux to
office products like Open Office,
there are many tools available that are cost effective to implement,
maintain, and support.
This is a bold move on the part of the Brazilian government, and not an easy
task to take on. We applaud any organization, especially one the size
of a major government, for taking such steps. If this venture is as
successful as we suspect, this could be a big step forward in breaking
up certain monopolies.
