Open Source Software is based on the principle of software products made available by the OSS developer community (which includes commercial companies, academics and others) licensed for use with or without a fee.
Interoperability is not now a major issue, according to the findings, which follow a series of proof of concept trials. The OGC believes it can generate significant savings, particularly in conjunction with server consolidation and by delaying hardware replacement.
It also identified potential 'green' benefits through the prolonging of hardware life, with less resources consumed in producing new hardware and less waste/disposal/landfill of old machines.
Decisions, it concludes, "should be based on a holistic assessment of future needs, taking into account total cost of ownership, with proper consideration of both proprietary and open source solutions."
OGC Chief Executive John Oughton said the pilot schemes provided valuable evidence on OSS. "Effective use of IT is a crucial element in the Government's modernisation agenda," he commented. "This Report will assist public sector bodies in making informed, value-for-money judgements when deciding upon which solution best suits their needs."
The pilot schemes were carried out in partnership with IBM and Sun Microsystems.