Government tells major IT suppliers - we want more open source software

Open source software could be a key element to the government's new IT strategy due in Spring - and Whitehall has told its major suppliers to offer more open source options, says Bill McCluggage, deputy government CIO.

On Monday this week McCluggage met with top-level IT suppliers and lobby group Open Forum Europe to discuss a move to open source and to encourage greater adoption.

"The engagement strategy has to address the systems integrators issue, we can't buy what's not offered. The government is serious about open source," he told Computer Weekly.