Adoption of free and open-source software by public institutions

In 2009, the Government of Assam state made open source a part of its State IT Policy of 2009. While not mandated, its usee is encouraged, and emphasis are given to companies who use FOSS during partnership.{{Cite web |url=http://assamgovt.nic.in/pdf/ITPOLICY-2009-Final-Gazette-Style.pdf |title=Assam government IT Policy |access-date=2018-05-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716031024/http://assamgovt.nic.in/pdf/ITPOLICY-2009-Final-Gazette-Style.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-16 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |last=Unknown |date=2009-12-11 |title=Open Source India: Assam government includes FOSS in state IT policy |url=http://osindia.blogspot.com/2009/12/yet-another-indian-state-government.html |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=Open Source India}}{{Cite web |date=2009-08-04 |title=GOVERNMENT OF ASSAM ORDERS BY THE GOVERNOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT NOTIFICATION |url=https://dispur.nic.in/itact/it-policy-assam-2009.pdf |website=dispur.nic.in}}

The Government of Kerala, India, announced its official support for Free/Open-Source software in its State IT Policy of 2001.{{cite web | url=http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/apcity/unpan002950.pdf | title="Role of Open or Free Software", Section 15, page 20, of the State IT Policy (2001) of the Government of Kerala, copy available at the UN Public Administration Network (UNPAN) site | access-date=2013-09-16 | archive-date=2013-11-03 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103210627/http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/apcity/unpan002950.pdf | url-status=dead }} This was formulated after the first-ever free-software conference in India, "Freedom First!", held in July 2001 in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, where Richard Stallman inaugurated the Free Software Foundation of India.{{Cite web |title=Richard Stallman Inaugurates FSF-India - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation |url=http://www.gnu.org/press/2001-07-20-FSF-India.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250611200645/http://www.gnu.org/press/2001-07-20-FSF-India.html |archive-date=2025-06-11 |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=www.gnu.org |language=en |url-status=live }} Kerala's Government's support for Free Software in 2001 is perhaps the earliest instance of a Government supporting the use of Free Software.

Under the IT@School project the government of Kerala has adopted free and open sourced software for the schools.{{Cite web |url=http://teck.in/news/kerala-opted-free-and-open-software-for-it-school-project-t377.html |title=Kerala opted for foss |access-date=2018-05-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100530101541/http://teck.in/news/kerala-opted-free-and-open-software-for-it-school-project-t377.html |archive-date=2010-05-30 |url-status=dead }}

In January 2010, the Government of Jordan announced that it has formed a partnership with Ingres Corporation, a leading open-source database-management company based in the United States that is now known as Actian Corporation,{{Cite web |title=Company |url=https://www.actian.com/company/ |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=Actian |language=en-US}} to promote the use of open-source software starting with university systems in Jordan.{{cite web|url=http://www.itp.net/578825-jordan-information-ministry-signs-deal-on-open-source |title=Jordan Information Ministry signs deal on open source - Government - News & Features |work=ITP.net |date= 16 January 2010|access-date=2012-04-23}}{{Cite web |title=Open Source Adoption in Worldwide Governments {{!}} Intel® Developer Zone |url=http://software.intel.com/en-us/blogs/2010/01/19/open-source-adoption-in-worldwide-governments/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102173915/http://software.intel.com/en-us/blogs/2010/01/19/open-source-adoption-in-worldwide-governments/ |archive-date=2013-11-02 |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=software.intel.com |language=en}}

Malaysia launched the "Malaysian Public Sector Open Source Software Program", saving millions on proprietary-software licences till 2008.{{cite web |url=http://www.oscc.org.my/ |title=OSCC.org |access-date=23 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111027235357/http://www.oscc.org.my/ |archive-date=2011-10-27 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://knowledge.oscc.org.my/newsletters/first-quarterly-e-newsletter-jan-2009 |title=OSCC.org |access-date=23 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005081918/http://knowledge.oscc.org.my/newsletters/first-quarterly-e-newsletter-jan-2009 |archive-date=2011-10-05 |url-status=dead }}

In 2005, Vienna migrated from Microsoft Office 2000 to OpenOffice.org and from Microsoft Windows 2000 to Linux.{{Cite web |title=Vienna to softly embrace Linux - ZDNet UK |url=http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39185440,00.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061216030222/http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39185440,00.htm |archive-date=2006-12-16 |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=news.zdnet.co.uk |language=en}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.wien.gv.at/ma14/oss.html |title=Open Source Software am Arbeitsplatz im Magistrat Wien |access-date=2018-05-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609192244/http://www.wien.gv.at/ma14/oss.html |archive-date=2007-06-09 |url-status=dead }}

In 2025, in an effort to increase digital sovereignty, Denmark's Minister for Digital Government announced that the Danish government would move away from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice.{{cite news |title=Why Denmark is dumping Microsoft Office and Windows for LibreOffice and Linux |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-denmark-is-dumping-microsoft-office-and-windows-for-libreoffice-and-linux/ |access-date=21 June 2025}}

In March 2009, The National Gendarmerie announced that it will totally switch to Ubuntu by 2015.{{Cite web |last=Paul |first=Ryan |date=2009-03-12 |title=French police: we saved millions of euros by adopting Ubuntu |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2009/03/french-police-saves-millions-of-euros-by-adopting-ubuntu/ |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=Ars Technica |language=en}}{{Update inline|date=September 2016}} The Gendarmerie has adopted OpenOffice.org,{{Cite web |last=Guillemin |first=Christophe |date=2005-01-28 |title=La gendarmerie nationale passe à OpenOffice |url=https://www.zdnet.fr/actualites/la-gendarmerie-nationale-passe-a-openoffice-39203431.htm |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=ZDNET |language=fr-FR}} Firefox and Thunderbird. In 2018, a state-operated Matrix network has been deployed.{{Cite web |last=Hodgson |first=Matthew |date=2018-04-26 |title=Matrix and Riot confirmed as the basis for France's Secure Instant Messenger app {{!}} Matrix.org |url=https://matrix.org/blog/2018/04/26/matrix-and-riot-confirmed-as-the-basis-for-frances-secure-instant-messenger-app/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180426174656/https://matrix.org/blog/2018/04/26/matrix-and-riot-confirmed-as-the-basis-for-frances-secure-instant-messenger-app/ |archive-date=2018-04-26 |access-date= |website=matrix.org}}

{{asof|2007|06|}}, the National Assembly of France has had plans to migrate to Linux, OpenOffice.org and Firefox.{{Cite web |title=14e Parlement des Enfants - samedi 7 juin 2008 (communiqué du 22 mai 2008) |url=https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/presse/divisionpresse/m01.asp |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=www.assemblee-nationale.fr}}{{Cite web |last=Guillemin |first=Christophe |date=2006-11-23 |title=Linux s'installe dans les PC des députés |url=https://www.zdnet.fr/actualites/linux-s-installe-dans-les-pc-des-deputes-39364970.htm |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=ZDNET |language=fr-FR}}

In 2020, Germany's armed forces commenced using Matrix for internal communications, creating their own application based upon Element.{{Cite web |title=Open-Source: „Matrix“ ist einheitlicher Messenger-Standard für die Bundeswehr |url=https://www.bwi.de/magazin/artikel/open-source-matrix-ist-einheitlicher-messenger-standard-fuer-die-bundeswehr |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=www.bwi.de |language=DE}}

In 2018, Germany's police replaced WhatsApp by Moka, a fork of Conversations made by Daniel Gultsch.{{Cite web |title=Bundespolizei - Homepage - Annual Report 2020 |url=https://www.bundespolizei.de/Web/DE/Service/Mediathek/Jahresberichte/jahresbericht_2020_EN_file.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211231223945/https://www.bundespolizei.de/Web/DE/Service/Mediathek/Jahresberichte/jahresbericht_2020_EN_file.pdf |archive-date=2021-12-31 |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=www.bundespolizei.de |language=de}}

{{see also|LiMux}}

In 2003, The German City of Munich announced its intention to switch from Microsoft Windows NT-based operating systems to an open-source implementation of SuSE Linux,{{Cite web |title=Munich deal boosts desktop Linux - ZDNet.co.uk |url=http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,2135356,00.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080726013436/http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,2135356,00.htm |archive-date=2008-07-26 |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=news.zdnet.co.uk |language=en}}{{cite book | last1=Casson | first1=Tony | last2=Ryan | first2=Patrick S. | ssrn=1656616 | chapter=Open Standards, Open Source Adoption in the Public Sector, and Their Relationship to Microsoft’s Market Dominance | title=Standards Edge: Unifier or Divider? | editor-last=Bolin | editor-first=Sherrie | date=1 May 2006 | page=87 | publisher=Sheridan Books}}{{cite web |date= |title=Declaration of Independence: The LiMux Project in Munich |url=http://www.osor.eu/case_studies/declaration-of-independence-the-limux-project-in-munich |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080910034350/http://www.osor.eu/case_studies/declaration-of-independence-the-limux-project-in-munich |archive-date=2008-09-10 |access-date=23 October 2011 |work=Osor.eu}} In June 2004, after a pilot project run by SuSE Linux and IBM there was a final approval for the migration.{{Cite web |title=Munich decides to stick with Linux - ZDNet.co.uk |url=http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39157887,00.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080726071755/http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39157887,00.htm |archive-date=2008-07-26 |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=news.zdnet.co.uk |language=en}} On 14 April 2005, the city decided to migrate to Debian from a commercial Linux distribution.{{Cite web |title=Munich picks its Linux distro - ZDNet.co.uk |url=http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39195204,00.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100306175932/http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39195204,00.htm |archive-date=2010-03-06 |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=news.zdnet.co.uk |language=en}} An adoption rate of 20% was achieved by 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.muenchen.de/Rathaus/dir/limux/english/147197/index.html |title=Official LiMux page |work=Muenchen.de |date= |access-date=23 October 2011}}

In late 2002, Schwäbisch Hall migrated its 400 workstations to Linux.{{Cite web |title=German city reveals Linux migration tactics - ZDNet.co.uk |url=http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39146113,00.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091128223810/http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39146113,00.htm |archive-date=2009-11-28 |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=news.zdnet.co.uk |language=en}} The factors leading to migration were cost, better security, escape from the treadmill of vendor-driven upgrades.

After a successful pilot project, the state of Schleswig-Holstein announced on April 2024 that the public administration is migrating the PCs of 30,000 employees to free, open-source systems.{{cite web | url=https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2024/04/04/german-state-moving-30000-pcs-to-libreoffice/ | title=German state moving 30,000 PCS to LibreOffice | date=4 April 2024 }} The migration consists of switching to Linux operating systems, the open document file format ODF, Libre Office, Thunderbird and Nextcloud, among other software.{{cite web | url=https://www.schleswig-holstein.de/DE/landesregierung/ministerien-behoerden/I/Presse/PI/2024/CdS/241125_cds_open-source-strategie | title=Schleswig-holstein.de - der Ministerpräsident - Staatskanzlei und Bundesangelegenheiten - Land veröffentlicht Open Source Strategie Schleswig-Holstein: Digitale Souveränität vorantreiben, heimische Digitalwirtschaft stärken, Vertrauen und Transparenz schaffen }} The state government published in November 2024 its "Open Innovation and Open Source Strategy" and gave the order to begin the migration in the Spring of 2025. The objective of this decision is to have "digital sovereignty with open source", "trust and transparency" on their IT resources and promote its "regional digital economy".{{cite web | url=https://www.schleswig-holstein.de/DE/landesregierung/ministerien-behoerden/I/_startseite/Artikel2024/IV/241125_open-source-strategie | title=Schleswig-holstein.de - der Ministerpräsident - Staatskanzlei und Bundesangelegenheiten - Land veröffentlicht Open-Source-Strategie }} At the end of 2024 the first requests from the government to the migration providers are already finished for some departments, like: macro migrations, PDF export and accessibility fixes, and trainings. Some of these improvements have already been merged upstream and released on Libre Office latest versions.{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx0IQqhO6hY | title=Migration to LibreOffice and ODF for 30,000 clients in government of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany | website=YouTube | date=22 November 2024 }}

In 2000, the Portuguese Vieira do Minho Municipality began switching to free and open-source software.

{{cite news

|url=https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/elibrary/case/vieira-do-minho-citizens-and-administrators-profit-open-source

|publisher=European Commission

|title=Vieira do Minho - citizens and administrators profit from open source

|date=2013-05-31

|access-date=2013-11-15

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204081628/https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/elibrary/case/vieira-do-minho-citizens-and-administrators-profit-open-source

|archive-date=2013-12-04

|url-status=dead

}}

IOSSPL is a free and open source software used for public libraries in Romania.{{Cite web |url=http://www.iosspl.org/ |title=IOSSPL |access-date=2018-05-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702000027/http://www.iosspl.org/ |archive-date=2010-07-02 |url-status=dead }}

In 2017, The City of Barcelona started to migrate its computer systems away from the Windows platform . The City's strategy was first to replace all user applications with open-source alternatives, until the underlying Windows operating system is the only proprietary software remaining. In a final step, the operating system replaced with Linux.{{cite news

|url=https://elpais.com/ccaa/2017/12/01/catalunya/1512145439_132556.html

|publisher=El Pais

|title=El Ayuntamiento de Barcelona rompe con el 'software' de Microsoft

|date=2017-01-12

|access-date=2023-11-13}}

In 2017, the city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, opened up most of its new internal software development efforts to reduce its own software costs, and increase collaboration with other municipalities looking to solve similar problems.Algoma University [https://algomau.ca/news/alumni-profile-dan-gowans/ "Advocating for Collaboration in Code"]

In September 2006, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts announced its formal adoption of the OpenDocument standard for all Commonwealth entities.

In February 2009, the United States White House moved its website to Linux servers using Drupal for content management.Vaughan-Nichols, Steven J. [http://www.pcworld.com/article/174746/obama_invites_open_source_into_the_white_house.html "Obama Invites Open Source into the White House"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110223739/http://www.pcworld.com/article/174746/obama_invites_open_source_into_the_white_house.html |date=2016-01-10 }} in PCWorld, 29 October 2009.

In August 2016, the United States government announced a new federal source-code policy. This policy mandates that at least 20% of custom source code developed by or for any agency of the federal government must be released as open-source software (OSS).{{cite book

|first1 = Tony

|last1 = Scott

|first2 = Anne E

|last2 = Rung

|title = Federal Source Code Policy: Achieving Efficiency, Transparency, and Innovation through Reusable and Open Source Software — Memorandum for the Heads of Departments and Agencies — M-16-21

|date = 8 August 2016

|publisher = Office of Budget and Management, Executive Office of the President

|location = Washington DC, USA

|url = https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/memoranda/2016/m_16_21.pdf

|access-date = 2016-09-14

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170121010239/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/memoranda/2016/m_16_21.pdf

|archive-date = 2017-01-21

|url-status = live

}} Also available as HTML at: {{url|https://sourcecode.cio.gov}} In addition, the policy requires that all source code be shared between agencies. The public release is under a three-year pilot program and agencies are obliged to collect data on this pilot to gauge its performance. The overall policy aims to reduce duplication, avoid vendor 'lock-in', and stimulate collaborative development. A new website {{url|code.gov}} provides "an online collection of tools, best practices, and schemas to help agencies implement this policy", the policy announcement stated. It also provides the "primary discoverability portal for custom-developed software intended both for Government-wide reuse and for release as OSS". As yet unspecified OSS licenses will be added to the code.

{{cite web

| first = William | last = New

| title = New US Government Source Code Policy Could Provide Model For Europe

| date = 22 August 2016

| website = Intellectual Property Watch

| location = Geneva, Switzerland

| url = http://www.ip-watch.org/2016/08/22/new-us-government-source-code-policy-could-provide-model-for-europe/

| access-date = 2016-09-14

}}

The US Chief Information Officer Tony Scott, co-author of the policy, blogged "This is, after all, the People's code. Explore it. Learn from it. Improve it. Use it to propel America's next breakthrough in innovation."

{{cite web

| first = Tony | last = Scott

| title = The People's Code

| date = 8 August 2016

| location = Washington DC, USA

| url = https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2016/08/08/peoples-code

| via = National Archives | work = whitehouse.gov | access-date = 2016-09-14

}}

The government of Argentina launched the program Conectar Igualdad (Connect Equality), through ANSES and the Ministry of Education (Argentina) launched during the presidency of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, that gave kids on public schools free laptops to use for educative purposes. By default, it came with Huayra GNU/Linux, a free and open-source Linux operating system developed by the Argentinian technology ministry, based on Debian, using the MATE Desktop.

The government of Brazil migrated from Microsoft Windows to Linux.{{Cite news |last=Goldmark |first=Alex |date=2005-01-31 |title=Brazil Makes Move to Open Source Software |url=https://www.npr.org/2005/01/31/4471963/brazil-makes-move-to-open-source-software |access-date=2025-06-22 |work=NPR |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2005-06-02 |title=Brazil adopts open-source software |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4602325.stm |access-date=2025-06-22 |language=en-GB}} In 2006, the Brazilian government also encouraged the distribution of cheap computers running Linux throughout its poorer communities by subsidizing their purchase with tax breaks.

In April 2008, Ecuador passed a similar law, Decree 1014, designed to migrate the public sector to Libre Software.{{in lang|es}} [http://www.estebanmendieta.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Decreto_1014_software_libre_Ecuador.pdf Estebanmendieta.com], Decree 1014

In 2005, the Government of Peru voted to adopt open source across all its bodies.{{cite web|last=Clarke |first=Gavin |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/09/29/peru_goes_open_source/ |title=TheRegister.co.uk |website=The Register |date=29 September 2005 |access-date=23 October 2011}} The 2002 response to Microsoft's critique is available online. In the preamble to the bill, the Peruvian government stressed that the choice was made to ensure that key pillars of democracy were safeguarded: "The basic principles which inspire the Bill are linked to the basic guarantees of a state of law."{{cite web|url=http://www.naci.org.za/pdfs/floss_v2_6_9.pdf|title=Free/Libre & Open Source Software and Open Standards in South Africa|access-date=31 May 2008|last=National Advisory Council on Innovation Open Software Working Group|date=July 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080602190406/http://www.naci.org.za/pdfs/floss_v2_6_9.pdf|archive-date=2 June 2008|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}

In 2004, a law in Venezuela (Decree 3390) went into effect, mandating a two-year transition to open source in all public agencies. As of June 2009 this ambitious transition is still under way.{{in lang|es}} [http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2005/12/venezuela_open_source.html Venezuela Open Source] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080216100259/http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2005/12/venezuela_open_source.html |date=February 16, 2008 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.tsj.gov.ve/gaceta/Diciembre/281204/281204-38095-08.html |title=Publicado en la Gaceta oficial No 38.095 de fecha 28/ 12/ 2004 |access-date=23 October 2011 |last=Chavez |first=Hugo F. |date=December 2004 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809230610/http://www.tsj.gov.ve/gaceta/Diciembre/281204/281204-38095-08.html |archive-date=9 August 2011 }}

{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}

• LiMux {{ndash}} the Munich city migration program
• Linux adoption
• List of Linux adopters
• OpenDocument adoption
• :de:Open-Source-Software in öffentlichen Einrichtungen {{in lang|de}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070611093239/http://fsfe.org/en/fellows/ciaran/ciaran_s_free_software_notes/free_software_in_public_administration_beta Free software in public administration, beta]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080223124448/http://ec.europa.eu/idabc/en/chapter/470 IDABC - Open Source Case Studies] IDABC Open Source Case Studies

Category:Free and open-source software