NewsForge: GOSCON Debates Open Source RFPs

"Attendees of the first ever Government Open Source Conference (GOSCON) in Portland, Ore., last week heard about how the thinking and approach of government agencies must change to gain the cost-savings and other advantages of open source software. The event, which drew more than 200 open source business people, government officials, and consultants, also featured debate on whether open source software communities and businesses, too, must change their thinking and approach to gain the benefits of government business.

"In his lunch keynote, MedsSphere CEO and open source industry veteran Larry Augustin highlighted how, according to Goldman Sachs, 70 percent of new software licensing revenue goes to sales and marketing in the traditional, commercial software vendor model. 'We're effectively charging customers to sell them software,' he joked. 'There's something wrong with this...'"

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Related Stories:

• eWeek: Open Source Movement Gets a Lobby(Oct 14, 2005)
• The Oregonian: An Opening for Open-Source Software(Oct 13, 2005)
• BlueOregon: March of the Penguins in Portland(Oct 10, 2005)