Germany’s cash-strapped public sector will be the driving force behind the takeup of open-source software in the country as state-run organizations strive to lower their IT costs, according to a study released Wednesday by the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering.
Around 47 per cent of the 115 public administrations polled for the study “Structural Change or Flash in the Pan?” said they estimate cost savings potential of more than 50 per cent by using open-source software. Nearly 60 per cent said they plan to deploy open-source software as part of the medium or long-term IT strategy.
Several federal government organizations have already become users of open-source software, including the German Parliament, Federal Tax Office and Federal Office for Information Security, as well as numerous other state and local government agencies, such as the City of Munich and the City of Schw
