Defining the Real Value of Open Source within Government IT Systems

Open Source Software can provide great value to government IT systems. But not for what appears to be the most obvious reasons: price. Open source "software" can be acquired for zero cost, but implementation, training and maintenance will still cost you money. The real value of open source software is found in the "freedom" to leverage a wide range of development communities and control costs through competition and requirements based on service and technical quality. This panel will discuss many of the arguments from both government and vendors on how, and how not to, define and value open source software as a viable option for your IT system.

Business case (or case studies) as examples for discussion include:
Department of Defense
TISC JCTD - transnational information sharing
LargeData  - data storage and sharing
MSAT - medical application
and others
DoD OSS projects in use: FalconView, Optics, BRL-CAD, Delta3D, OSSIM