Review of Overseas Governments FLOSS Policy

"When open alternatives are available, no citizen or company should be forced or encouraged to use a particular company’s technology to access government information. No citizen or company should be forced or encouraged to choose a closed technology over an open one, through a government having made that choice first." — Neelie Kroes, European Union Competition Commissioner

One outcome of the Public Sector Remix project has been a review of FLOSS policy of overseas governments. This review was undertaken to inform New Zealanders about what other governments are thinking and why. There is a growing demand for policies that "level the playing field" for FLOSS, recognising that existence of monopolies and skewed procurement practices are helping to ensure we continue to miss out on the benefits and competition that FLOSS can bring to the market.

The attached PDF looks at policy for Denmark, the UK, Netherlands and Malaysia. The clear theme throughout these policies is a recognition that FLOSS is a powerful force for the good and that action is required to accelerate its uptake.