Government says open source not a ‘hype bubble’

Significantly the consultation paper categorically states that OSS is not a fad but the start of a fundamental change in the software infrastructure market: "OSS is indeed the start of a fundamental change in the software infrastructure marketplace, but it is not a hype bubble that will burst and UK Government must take cognisance of that fact."

The document outlines the next steps for the Government proposes to take in promoting the use of OSS. These include the UK Government seeking to avoid lock-in to proprietary IT products and services.

It states that the UK Government will consider OSS solutions alongside proprietary ones in IT procurements, with contracts awarded on a value for money basis.

In addition the government and its agencies, including the NHS, will consider obtaining full rights to bespoke software code or customisations of all commercial off the shelf software it procures wherever this achieves best value for money. 

If no commercial or community shared exploitation route is used for publicly funded R&D software an OSS default will apply.  This default will not, however, apply for software developed for defence, national security or law enforcement.

One of the key steps proposed to implement the updated OSS policy will be for the Office of Government Commerce to disseminate the lessons learnt from current OSS ‘Proof of Concept’ trials to the government IT community

Within the NHS the main official trial of Open Source technology underway is a trial of Sun’s Java Desktop system, announced by the National programme for IT (NPfIT) in December 2003.

According to the NPfIT the evaluation of Sun’s Java Desktop system, originally due to last three months, are now due to be completed in June.

Open source has long attracted interest within the health sector, as a way of addressing the traditionally high cost of clinical software, and problems of lock in associated with proprietary systems.   

In 2002 the NHS Information Authority, published a white paper ‘Open Source and the NHS’ on the use of OSS in the NHS which concluded: "The availability of open source healthcare applications would provide healthy competition to the existing closed source commercial market, encouraging innovation whilst promoting compatibility and interoperation.

"This ultimately will lead to systems that are lower cost, better quality and more responsive to changing clinical and organisational requirements."

The 2002 NHSIA paper recommended that a key step towards promoting the use of OSS in the NHS would include the NHSIA to publish a "specific NHS policy on OSS, based upon the government proposals", and.  No such policy has subsequently been published by either the NHSIA or NPfIT.

The public consultation on the draft Open Source policy document is open until 11 June, 2004