U.K. opposition leader calls for greater open-source adoption

Shadow chancellor George Osborne has called for an overhaul of the government’s approach to open source, arguing that greater use in the public sector could save £600 million ($1.1 million U.S.) a year.

Osborne warned that too many companies had been “frozen out of government IT contracts”, stifling competition and driving up costs. “Not a single open source company is included in Catalyst, the government’s list of approved IT suppliers,” he said.

The Department for Education and Skills found that on average primary schools using open source software cut IT costs per PC by 50%, he said.
U.K. opposition leader calls for greater open-source adoption

9 March 2007 | Software | Comments