Hippo

The authorities and Open Source & Open Standards

The governmental authorities are at the forefront of a digital revolution: they have to become transparent, open and interactive. The term “e‑Government” is now a fixed item on the list of priorities for local, provincial and governmental authorities. The application of information and communication technology does however have consequences for the relationships with the general public, businesses and other governmental institutions.

Technological bridges will have to be built to allow effective linking of information and the distribution of that information to the public. One very important aspect for project developments in the field of e‑Government in the Netherlands is the programme called "Open Standaarden Open Source Software" (Open Standards Open Source Software, OSOSS). In order to realize e‑Government in a cost-effective, transparent and forward-looking way, the use of open standards will become mandatory in 2006. Furthermore, the use of open source software will be encouraged.