Free code for German authorities? Of course!
Posted: Thu Jan 30, 2025 8:35 am
The digitalization of society is progressing and is not stopping at German offices and authorities. But digital processes, which have long been standard in many commercial companies, are often still lagging far behind in public administration. The current pandemic has ruthlessly exposed the shortcomings in digitalization - you cannot combat a global crisis with fax machines and paper applications. In an international comparison, Germany has slipped from 6th to 14th place in e-government because other countries are simply much faster in implementing it ( Digital Readiness Index , as of 2020). Open source software (OSS) offers a chance to catch up and has far more advantages than just being free.
In the course of digitalization, in addition to the processes, the question also arises as to which solutions public institutions would like to rely on in the future. The tried and tested applications of the large digital companies, as is common in the private sector, or open source solutions that are accessible to everyone and can be adapted as desired ? The efforts of the individual authorities and administrations vary considerably and in the past there were also public institutions that used open source, then switched to commercial solutions and then switched back to OSS, or vice versa.
Meanwhile, the trend among German authorities is japan number dataset clearly towards open source. The use of freely accessible solutions not only has a number of advantages, it is also politically desired . The federal government wants to reduce dependence on proprietary applications in particular, but also save on licensing costs.
Logo OSB Alliance
There are also numerous initiatives such as the Open Source Business Alliance (OSB) and Public Money, Public Code, which, among other things, advocate that software applications that are financed through taxation should in principle be open source. This is because if the code is public , the use of data is also transparent , whereas with private solution providers nobody knows what happens behind closed doors. The use of open source is therefore also in the public interest .Public Money - Public Code
The Online Access Act (OZG) ensures that the process of digitization progresses, which obliges the federal government, states and municipalities to offer hundreds of administrative services digitally by 2022. The path to e-government is therefore not just a voluntary exercise to be more close to the citizens, it is an official task and the time horizon for implementation is now very manageable.
Strengths of Open Source Solutions
In contrast to commercial licenses, the source code is available with open source solutions. This brings with it a number of advantages, such as the ability to make adjustments to the application yourself and adapt it to your own needs. When the code is visible to everyone, bugs are more likely to be discovered and fixed. In addition, an institution that works with open source applications is independent of the provider and does not have to pay monthly usage fees or accept terms of use that contradict its own company principles or guidelines. The most important reason, however, is that freely accessible code means that manipulation is hardly possible and no data can be extracted from the outside through the application without being noticed. In detail, the following reasons also speak in favor of open source solutions.
In the course of digitalization, in addition to the processes, the question also arises as to which solutions public institutions would like to rely on in the future. The tried and tested applications of the large digital companies, as is common in the private sector, or open source solutions that are accessible to everyone and can be adapted as desired ? The efforts of the individual authorities and administrations vary considerably and in the past there were also public institutions that used open source, then switched to commercial solutions and then switched back to OSS, or vice versa.
Meanwhile, the trend among German authorities is japan number dataset clearly towards open source. The use of freely accessible solutions not only has a number of advantages, it is also politically desired . The federal government wants to reduce dependence on proprietary applications in particular, but also save on licensing costs.
Logo OSB Alliance
There are also numerous initiatives such as the Open Source Business Alliance (OSB) and Public Money, Public Code, which, among other things, advocate that software applications that are financed through taxation should in principle be open source. This is because if the code is public , the use of data is also transparent , whereas with private solution providers nobody knows what happens behind closed doors. The use of open source is therefore also in the public interest .Public Money - Public Code
The Online Access Act (OZG) ensures that the process of digitization progresses, which obliges the federal government, states and municipalities to offer hundreds of administrative services digitally by 2022. The path to e-government is therefore not just a voluntary exercise to be more close to the citizens, it is an official task and the time horizon for implementation is now very manageable.
Strengths of Open Source Solutions
In contrast to commercial licenses, the source code is available with open source solutions. This brings with it a number of advantages, such as the ability to make adjustments to the application yourself and adapt it to your own needs. When the code is visible to everyone, bugs are more likely to be discovered and fixed. In addition, an institution that works with open source applications is independent of the provider and does not have to pay monthly usage fees or accept terms of use that contradict its own company principles or guidelines. The most important reason, however, is that freely accessible code means that manipulation is hardly possible and no data can be extracted from the outside through the application without being noticed. In detail, the following reasons also speak in favor of open source solutions.