IBM to provide open source solutions to New South Wales

IBM to provide open source solutions to New South Wales

US based tech giants IBM has joined CSC, Novell and a couple of other smaller suppliers to provide open source solutions to New South Wales. The project started by the NSW government would help make open source solutions accessible to its agencies.

This news comes just days after Novell confirmed their participation in the program. The company had said in a statement that the project was a great endorsement of the advantages that open source has to offer, particularly for government where security and cost issues are of paramount importance.

However, this project does not mean that the various departments and agencies in the state would be required to purchase open source software or solutions. It simply provides a formal contractual framework for suppliers creating a level playing field compared with commercial solutions.

The group would be showcasing Linux and other OS applications as a real alternative for their commercial offerings like the Windows Operating System. The state is also negotiating with other IT giants like Dell, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, Red Hat, and Sun Microsystems.