The terms “open” and “government” traditionally have been mutually exclusive. But that’s started to change. Today public officials at the federal, state and local levels recognize that to truly be a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, they can’t operate in a closed, siloed environment.
As officials search for ways to increase capabilities, transparency and citizen engagement while decreasing spending, one solution is continuously bubbling to the top: open source technology.
At its core, open source technology involves software whose source code can be freely viewed and edited. Its top advantage to government is that it enables agencies to find one solution to common challenges and to replicate that solution as often as needed – without a hefty price tag. It’s simple: If the information is there for the taking, there’s no need to spend taxpayer dollars on reinventing the wheel.
As a result, open source is helping speed up traditional government operations. Instead of multiple agencies spending time, money and human resources to create the same technological programs, now they can browse the repositories of their peers’ source code and pick up what applies to them. What’s more, they can edit the code to add features and then share with others to use or amend again.
In this guide, we will look at why open source approaches are good for governments at all levels. In the coming pages, you will find:
- Interviews with open source experts such as Ben Balter and Code for America Chief Technology Officer Michal Migurski.
- Six case studies of federal agencies using open source successfully
- Three case studies of state and local governments using open source to make residents’ lives better
- Forecasts on what to expect from open source in 2015
- An elevator pitch for you to use in urging open source adoption at your organization
Download our guide now to learn about how open source will change the face of government technology.
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