Expert guidance: Open Source for Europe's public sector
Financed by the Commission's IDABC programme, these specialist studies help Member State administrations at all levels learn more about - and take advantage of - open source software.
Guidelines for Public administrations on Procurement and Open Source Software (2008) - draft version
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. Many public administrations are unclear how to go about this, and need advice and guidelines. One important function of the OSOR is to provide a space for the publication and sharing of advice and guidelines related to open source in the public sector....[more]
Guidelines for Public Administrations on Partnering with Free Software Developers (2005)
Public administrations may be interested in working with free software projects in order to take advantage of their adaptability, low cost and the ability to engage with the large developer community. This document aims to help PAs achieve this successfully.
[pdf]
Open Source Licensing of software developed by The European Commission (applied to the CIRCA solution) (2004)
For software developed by the public sector, the adoption of an Open Source licensing policy is a prerequisite to create and reinforce a community of users and developers, which could hopefully generate a continuous steam of improvements, support and new releases. Thi study looks at legal and economic aspects of releasing public sector-developed applications under open source licences.
[pdf]
Patents and open source software - What public authorities need to know (2005)
While patents on computer programs are not allowed in European law "as such", in practice, patents have been granted that cover functionality in many common software applications. They pose a risk to the development and distribution of software. This study discusses the most important issues for public administrations.
[pdf]
Partnering with Public Administrations: A short guide for OSS developers (2005)
When Free/Libre/Open Source Software (FLOSS) and government are mentioned in the same context, it is usually in relation to public sector use of software. Sometimes, it is related to public sector policies for the promotion of FLOSS. But there are also an increasing number of projects producing customised software for public administrations. This report looks into why FLOSS developers should collaborate with the public sector, and suggests how they should do this.
[pdf]
Partnering with Open Source Developers: Guideline for public administrations (2005)
Public administrations may be interested in working with free software projects in order to take advantage of their adaptability, low cost and the ability to engage with a large developer community. This guide aims to help PAs achieve this successfully, and helps them to avoid the most common stumbling blocks along the way.
[pdf]
Open Source Migration Guidelines. (2003)
These guidelines have been designed to help public administrators decide whether a migration to OSS should be undertaken and describe, in broad technical terms, how such a migration could be carried out. They are based on practical experience of a limited number of publicly available case studies, and cover a wide range of management and technical concerns.
[pdf - EN] [pdf - FR] [pdf - ES]
Pooling open source software (2002)
This is independent study recommends the creation of a software clearing house which public administrations can use to share the software they have developed. This facility, which would concentrate on applications specific for the needs of the public sector, could encourage the replication of good practice in e-government services.
[pdf-EN] [pdf-FR] [pdf-DE]
Study on the use of Open Source Software in the public sector (2001)
This study gives an overview of the availability and potential use of FLOSS-based solutions, reflecting the situation in spring 2001. It focuses on FLOSS usage experiences in the public sector of six European countries and the EU administration. Finally, it provides an overview of the FLOSS market structure, describing opportunities and potential problems related to the use of FLOSS solutions.
1. OSS Fact sheet (PDF)
2. The Open Source Market Structure (PDF)
3. Annex: OSS alphabetical list and software identification (PDF)
