Government IT and Open Source Services
Apply Now“If we can reconceive of our government so that the interactions and the interplay between private sector, nonprofits, and government are opened up, and we use technology, data, social media in order to join forces around problems, then there’s no problem that we face in this country that is not soluble.”
-President Barack Obama, March 11, 2016
Open source software can pave the way for more adaptable IT infrastructure and is the technology supporting some of the biggest and most used cloud service platforms. Institutions are able to control more efficiently their IT using open source software and it also assures access to public services that its users can trust with sensitive information.
Many companies in the private sector have moved their source code development to open source frameworks. The Federal Government is continually creating new code for for their major projects using open source software.
In August of 2016, the US government adopted a federal source-code policy that ensures that any federal agency must use open-source software for 20% of their coding. All agencies must share their source codes, as well. See code.com for additional information.
Open source software is for everyone, not only for programmers. Any time a person uses a mobile phone, reads their email, views a web page, or streams music online, they are most likely using open source software.
What are the benefits of Open Source Software?
Dependability
Users that rely on Open Source Software can rest easy that the code will be kept up and not become obsolete when the creater moves on to other projects.
Become a Better Programmer
Because Open Source software is open to the public, others can spot any errors in the code and correct it.
Manage the Code
Open Source software is preferred by many because the code can be altered to fit their individual needs.
Community
Some Open Source programs have inspired meetups and user groups who not only create the code but alter, use, and promote the software.