In an article by Ryan Paul, which appeared at ArsTechnica, it says that Scott McNealy, co-founder and former CEO of Sun Microsystems, said he has been contacted by members of the Obama administration, to assist in developing a plan that would aim to reduce ICT costs in various areas of the U.S. government, federal and local levels. Through the use of Open Source, this would be a way to cope with the current budget crisis and do more with less. There are several ways in which the federal government can save by using open source, such large deployments of Linux PCs in schools, which has proven quite effective in the past. And there are examples such as the French parliament, which could be followed in the American public. In addition to cost reduction, which is a priority at this time, the use of open source technologies, including improved interoperability with other technologies, giving the department greater flexibility when ICT use and manage their software.
But the doubts of the Open Source community are not related to the true intentions of the new Obama administration, who has shown genuine interest in Open Source, but the person who is designated to help redesign the policies of the federal government . Since McNealy has been characterized by temperal and his stormy relationship with the Open Source community. Even some critics have said that asking McNealy write a document of guidelines on the adoption of the Open Software in Government, is like asking Dick Cheney to write a paper on guidelines for government transparency. Certainly does not seem the best option for advice.
But then I ask for advice, Paul Ryan, suggests Sue C. Payton, the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition. She was the author of a paper proposing a roadmap for the deployment of Open Source technologies in the Defense Ministry, while he was a commissioner of the sub-secretariat of defense in 2006. Obviously someone who knows the state and the open source is much more advisable for someone who has had a love / hate with the Open Source such as Scott McNealy.
However, if the plan is carried out, even partially, would be the model for a large amount of government in the world, with perhaps one of the most important customers of Microsoft closed down many of its accounts and it is also a large group of important customers, composed mostly by foreign governments. If Microsoft knew of these conversations, it is easy to understand why they have been so worried in Redmond recently and placed the Open Source as a major threat to its business model. Apparently the recession is not the end of the Open Source as many have been announced, but perhaps the catalyst to leave research and large data centers, to make your entrance to mass consumer market.