Open Source Push 'Could Save Taxpayer Millions'

The government is investigating free open source software as it emerged that £200m of taxpayers' money has been spent on Microsoft Office alone since 2010

The Government is investigating how open source software could be adopted to save tens of millions of pounds a year and make communication between departments easier.

Since 2010 government departments have spent £200m on Microsoft Office alone, claimed Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude in a speech yesterday. Switching to open source alternatives would break the “oligopoly” of IT providers, he said, outlining a set of standardised document formats for use across Whitehall.

The idea was to get the “right technology at the right price for taxpayers”.