Open-source software could save Government £600m

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 27 Jan 2009 at 14:31

The use of open-source software could save the Government more than £600m a year on IT projects, a new report commissioned by the Conservatives claims.

The report, compiled by Dr Mark Thompson of Cambridge's Judge Business School, claims that the Government never need spend more than £100m on an IT project again.

The Shadow Chancellor asked Dr Thompson to explore alternative IT procurement schemes following the failure of high-profile projects such as the NHS computerised patient record system, which is already five years late and £10bn over budget.

Thompson suggests a more open approach to IT procurement. This would not only allow smaller companies to compete for IT projects, but produce huge cost savings on software licence fees, he claims.

New open data standards would also need to be introduced across government, to create a level playing field for open-source software.

"It isn't rocket science - it's about creating a modern and efficient procurement system," Dr Thompson told the BBC.

"Governments and companies around the world are making use of open-source software, and we could achieve much more here in the UK," he said.

The Tories have backed the proposals. "We have led the debate on using open-source software in government, and I'm delighted that Dr Mark Thompson has come forward with these detailed recommendations," says Shadow Chancellor, George Osborne.

"These proposals aren't just about saving money - they're about modernising government, making the public sector more innovative and improving public services."