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OVERVIEW

Open-source software would seem to be a good fi t for the public sector. Its communal model of development and usage sounds like a good match for the sector’s ethos, and its free licence cost sounds an even better one for its tight budgets.

In the UK however, open-source seems to have made few inroads and faces a number of problems: on the one hand the highly specialist role of some of the sector’s most important software means open-source is unlikely to be adopted. On the other hand, can public-sector staff using standard desktop computers without specialist software move to open-source? Cost of software is not the sole issue: implementation, customisation and training will require signifi cant spending.

Rigorous analysis is difficult: with few implementations and many of those are trials or reference sites, so it is difficult to find financial cost and benefit information on open-source. This is a self-perpetuating problem: organisations which could provide this analysis to others are not adopting open-source because they lack such information themselves. Will the average UK public-sector organisation stick to proprietary software on the basis of rigorous analysis or through of fear of the unknown?

This report reviews the arguments for and against. It summarises the problems which open-source providers will encounter and highlights where there is enthusiasm. It case studies four examples of successful implementation as well as taking a closer look at open-source in both the Education sector and NHS Connecting for Health. It offers some guidance on the future direction of policy.

WHAT THIS REPORT CONTAINS

• The arguments facing public servants for and against open-source implementations

• A review of the status of open-source solutions in the public sector

• Case studies of successful implementation

• An assessment of the future of the open-source opportunity

KEY FEATURES OF THIS REPORT

• Results of a survey of the top 20 local government websites and 30 central government websites; and

• Research based on interviews with public servants who are implementing open-source software.

HOW THIS REPORT WILL BENEFIT YOU

• You will see a clear picture of the status of open-source in the UK public sector;

• You will have a thorough appraisal of the immediate future of open-source in the UK public sector;

• You will understand the barriers to entry for open-source in the UK public sector; and

• You will gain a greater understanding of whether there is enthusiasm for open-source in the UK public sector.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Introduction

2 What is open source?

2.1 A brief review of the arguements
2.2 Successes and failures

3 Open source products

3.1 Linux
3.2 OpenOffi ce.org
3.3 Firefox
3.4 Web design and content management software
3.5 Aplaws+
3.6 Internet infrastructure software
3.7 Specialist applications
3.8 Wikis and content

4 UK public sector usage

4.1 Problems for open source vendors
4.2 Enthusiastic councils

5 Case studies: from lone enthusiast to major city trials

5.1 Surrey Ambulance service NHS Trust
5.2 Penwith District Council
5.3 Open source Academy
5.4 Birmingham’s libraries

6 Education: an unusual market

7 What next for the UK market?

7.1 NHS Connecting for Health

8 The future

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