- Value [1] Direct Cost Savings
- Open source software comes without licensing fees, so you can always use the full version for free. With open source, governments
around the world could save tens of billions of dollars every year. Open source vendors earn money based on feature enhancements
and support contracts. As a platform matures, current and future users can adopt the enhanced versions at no cost.
- Value [2] Freedom from Vendor Lock-In
- With access to the software’s source code, the software user is free to choose any vendor for ongoing support and feature
enhancement. This freedom helps the user better control cost, quality, and project timelines.
- Value [3] Interoperable Data Systems
- With control of your software’s source code, you can demand support of open standards, which make it easier to share data
seamlessly between systems and agencies. Interoperability means agencies can work together to better coordinate a range of
government functions, from sidewalk maintenance to disaster response.
- Value [4] Best Practice Sharing
- Best-in-class transit planning software is great – if you can afford it. With a robust open source solution, every city and
town could adopt the best decision-making tools available, at little to no cost.
- Value [5] Civic Empowerment
- Sharing public information – like water quality readings, school performance, or zoning permits - should be easy and inexpensive.
With public records online in universally accessible formats, citizens can comment, derive value, and take action in their
own communities. Open platforms can provide citizens with unprecedented access to data while saving agencies from the overhead
of offline information requests.
- Value [6] Virtuous Cycle
- An open source community is a public resource: whenever one member builds a new feature or improves an existing one, everyone
benefits. This process is self-propelling. As products mature, they attract more users and development and trigger a virtuous
cycle of open source development. With just a tiny fraction of current technology investments, we could create an open digital
infrastructure that met every conceivable public-sector need. This ‘government in a box’ would be a free, flexible resource
to countries around the world.
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