Open Source for America to Celebrate First Anniversary with Key Milestones for Open Source Technologies in Government

Open Source for America (OSFA), an organization of technology industry leaders, non-government associations, and academic and research institutions promoting the use of open source technologies in the U.S. federal government, today marks its first anniversary and celebrates key milestones for open source in government during the past 12 months. Visit OpenSourceforAmerica.org for more information.

During its first year, OSFA sponsored a study to measure openness within government. The study is scheduled to be released in the third quarter of 2010 and will culminate in a report card assigning a letter-grade to Cabinet-level agencies based on public transparency, participation and collaboration.

A number of factors relating to access and transparency will be evaluated, including Freedom of Information Act processes, public access to agency documents, use of online public participation tools, and technology procurement procedures. Agency representatives from the Administration's newly formed Open Government Working Group were invited to participate in the study.

Additionally, the coalition formed targeted working groups by subject area to help educate decision makers in the U.S. federal government about the advantages of using free and open source software.

Since OSFA's formation last July, the U.S. federal government has made several key announcements that signal movement toward the adoption and usage of open source technologies.

In October 2009, the Deputy CIO for the Department of Defense issued a memo noting that open source software should be considered alongside other software options in the procurement process, and referencing publicly-auditable code, unrestricted modification, licensing costs, and freedom from vendor reliance as benefits unique to open source.

Also in October 2009, the White House announced the migration of Whitehouse.gov to an open source platform to increase security and facilitate greater public input.

In December 2009, President Obama issued the Open Government Directive, instructing the head of every federal department and agency to take specific actions to open their operations to the public. Open source principles of transparency, participation, and collaboration were at the center of the Directive and open source technologies provide a means for government departments and agencies to adhere to these principles while gaining multiple benefits across their IT infrastructures.

“It's encouraging to see the many advancements made by the U.S. federal government over the past year to create a more open and transparent government,” said Michael Tiemann, vice president, Open Source Affairs at Red Hat and a member of the OSFA board of advisors. “Open source and open government share many of the same principles. OSFA has made great strides, in a short time period, to educate government leaders on the power of participation, collaboration and transparency within the open source software development model, and how government can benefit from its use.”

To commemorate its first anniversary, Open Source for America is launching its inaugural Open Source Awards Program. Nominations are open to all OSFA members and will be accepted from Friday, July, 23, 2010 through Friday, Aug. 20, 2010 at opensourceforamerica.org.

There are three award categories: Individual Contributor, Open Source Project and Open Source Deployment in Government.

Individual Contributor award will recognize one internal OSFA member and one external contributor who has made significant contributions in the promotion and use of open source solutions in the U.S. government during the past year.

The Open Source Project category will recognize an open source project that has shown promise and benefit for U.S. government use.

The Open Source Deployment in Government category will honor a U.S. government agency or body that has shown commitment to the use of open source, through policy and/or adoption.

Winners will be announced in September 2010. Judges will consist of a number of open source luminaries drawn from the OSFA Technical Steering Committee and Board of Advisors. Rules and guidelines can be found at opensourceforamerica.org/awards/.

To join Open Source for America and help build support for the use of open source technologies, visit the OSFA website at www.opensourceforamerica.org.