praka123
left this forum longback
Posted 06/13/07 18:22
U.S. Navy OKs Open Source Software
By BRAD PENISTON
Firefox users, rejoice! The chief information officer (CIO) for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps has decided that the services may use open-source software (OSS), treating it just like commercial-off-the-shelf software.
Open-source software allows anyone to inspect — and in many cases, to alter — its programming code, and then to pass it along, often free of charge, under intellectual-property licenses that are generally much less restrictive than those that govern commercial software.
Advocates point to Firefox, an open-source Web browser that is more secure than Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, yet also more flexible and respectful of Web standards. And they cite Linux, a powerful operating system that can replace Microsoft Windows on many PCs.
In a June 5 memo, Navy CIO Robert Carey says regulations that forbade the use of open-source software have largely prevented the services from benefiting from it.
“The misconception that OSS is neither a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) nor government off-the-shelf (GOTS) solution has hindered the DoN’s [Department of the Navy’s] ability to leverage the benefits of OSS methodology. Because of this misconception, OSS has not received equal consideration during the software acquisition process,” Carey wrote.
Henceforth, IT buyers and planners will be able to consider open-source software when making acquisition decisions.
“This will allow the DoN to utilize OSS throughout the enterprise when acquiring capabilities to meet DON business and warfighter requirements,” he wrote.
This move also will help the Navy meet DoD goals for exchanging information via standards, he wrote.
source:
*defensenews.com/story.php?F=2831160&C=america
U.S. Navy OKs Open Source Software
By BRAD PENISTON
Firefox users, rejoice! The chief information officer (CIO) for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps has decided that the services may use open-source software (OSS), treating it just like commercial-off-the-shelf software.
Open-source software allows anyone to inspect — and in many cases, to alter — its programming code, and then to pass it along, often free of charge, under intellectual-property licenses that are generally much less restrictive than those that govern commercial software.
Advocates point to Firefox, an open-source Web browser that is more secure than Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, yet also more flexible and respectful of Web standards. And they cite Linux, a powerful operating system that can replace Microsoft Windows on many PCs.
In a June 5 memo, Navy CIO Robert Carey says regulations that forbade the use of open-source software have largely prevented the services from benefiting from it.
“The misconception that OSS is neither a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) nor government off-the-shelf (GOTS) solution has hindered the DoN’s [Department of the Navy’s] ability to leverage the benefits of OSS methodology. Because of this misconception, OSS has not received equal consideration during the software acquisition process,” Carey wrote.
Henceforth, IT buyers and planners will be able to consider open-source software when making acquisition decisions.
“This will allow the DoN to utilize OSS throughout the enterprise when acquiring capabilities to meet DON business and warfighter requirements,” he wrote.
This move also will help the Navy meet DoD goals for exchanging information via standards, he wrote.
source:
*defensenews.com/story.php?F=2831160&C=america
I know. 