Did you know there is at least one local government that has been using open source software for almost 20 years?

The city of Garden Grove, CA, began using open source technology in 1995 and is saving more than $70,000 annually because of it! In addition, open source software has provided Garden Grove with stable performance, advanced features, and an ease of implementation that would not be possible with other types of software.

Still, misconceptions about open source software abound despite numerous benefits, financial and otherwise. The most common misconceptions include:

• Open source software is not secure.
  • This is untrue for a number of reasons, the most important being that there is a large number of users examining the code at all times who can create patches for breaches. Hackers and those looking to make attacks on open source software know this and accordingly make fewer attempts on open source software.
• Not many others are using open source software.
  • Untrue! 47 of the top 50 websites, according to Novell, run on Apache which is the preeminent Web-server technology are open source. The truth is that open source software is widespread and used frequently in both the private and public sectors as 47 state governments use open source technology in some capacity.
• Open source software has no technical support.
  • Some vendors of open source software provide extensive support structures in addition to the large communities of programmers that surround major open source software. These programmers are continuously and quickly repairing bugs. They are able to do this in part because there is no bureaucracy or red tape for them to work around; if a problem arises, they can simply go in and fix it.

In addition, open source software is becoming increasingly attractive because it can help significantly cut costs for local governments. On average, government agencies that make the switch save 40%–50% on initial hardware expenses and then save as much as 40% on software costs! Switching to open source software can help save your local government money while also increasing security and reliability. Learn more about open source software by going through the resources below:

• “Local Government Embraces Open Source Technology” Learn more about Garden Grove’s decision to become an early local government adopter of open source technology in the 1990s.
• “Open Source Special Report” This report dispels myths about open source technology and shows how it can actually be superior to traditional software.
• “Using Free, Open-Source Software in Local Governments: Streamlined Internal Computing for Better Performance and Record Keeping” showcases how and why some local governments have switched their internal software policies to rely on open-source software.
• “The Future of Open Source in Government”  Learn why open source technology is the most rapidly growing technology today!
• Numerous questions asked on the Knowledge Network are about the use of open source software. See the following questions about
  • reducing costs of software licenses such as MS Office.
  • use of open source software for record keeping.
  • how willing your IT department is to use open source software and freeware to meet your local government’s needs.
  • Join the Open Source Software group on the Knowledge Network! Share code, chat with others going through the implementation process, and connect with your peers.

Consider making the switch today! And if you are still on the fence why not ask your fellow local government colleagues on the Knowledge Network about their open source software experiences?

 Best,

Robin Saywitz

ICMA Knowledge Network Intern

rsaywitz@icma.org