By Teresa Carlson, Microsoft Vice President of U.S. Federal Government Sales
Following President Obama’s commitment to create a more open government, many federal customers tell me that they’re concerned about keeping their data secure during the process of making their organizations more transparent. Getting to Gov 2.0 may prove easier for some agencies than others, but in my discussions with federal leaders, one thing is clear: open government requires interoperability.
Government environments today typically house technologies from a variety of vendors, and success in providing access to information depends on interoperability amongst different applications, hardware and technology standards. It’s no secret that Microsoft has been faulted for being too proprietary in the past, but we’re more committed than ever to coexisting in a hybrid environment of both proprietary and open technologies in whatever way makes the most sense for our customers.
Interoperability is really about choice, and enabling governments to select the best technology that the market has to offer to serve citizens most effectively. No single standard, application or platform can meet all government needs, and despite claims to the contrary, open source in and of itself is no more interoperable, secure, or cost-effective than commercial software. Choice breeds competition, and efficiencies and innovation are far more likely if governments are free to choose from a variety of vendors and offerings.
In support of interoperability and its benefits for government, we are making important and innovative Microsoft IP freely and publicly available to developers and competitors. In fact, today there are more than 80,000 open source applications that run on Windows, 30,000 of which were built specifically and only to run on Windows.
Ultimately, openness or transparency is about outcomes - finding the best solution to fit a particular need. This is, after all, not a time for “rip and replace.” As the effects of the recession continue to be felt, lack of interoperability will only prove to be more costly, inefficient, and limiting. Collaboration will ensure that the right infrastructure is in place to “open up” government to the people and engage them in a truly transparent and meaningful way.