A guide to help public administrations decide on the use of Open Source software was published in France last December.
The guide aims to answer all questions that public IT administrators may have when they are considering Open Source software to develop new projects or improve existing ones.
The 'Practical Guide to the use of Open Source software by public authorities' answers 23 basic questions on Open Source software, such as 'What is Open Source software?", "How to find Open Source applications?" and "How to avoid violating an Open Source license?".
The guide is published on the website www.synergies-publiques.fr, using a Creative Commons public license, which allows others to improve and redistribute it: "This is version 1.2, but it will improve with your help."
The guide's main author is Thierry Aimé, who works at the Department of Budget, Public Accounts and Public Service. Contributors include experts from the ministry of Ecology, the ministry of Defense, the ministry of the Economy, Finance and Employment and the French organisation for civil servants using and developing Open Source (Adullact). The report was approved by the legal department of the Ministry of Finance.
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The views expressed are not an official position of the European Commission.
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Further information:
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The guide (pdf)