Switching to free and open source software contributes to sustainability by making a more efficient use of computer hardware, allowing to use PCs for longer than when following proprietary software vendor's upgrade cycle, two very recent examples show.

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The Italian city of Udine has been using open source solutions wherever possible for years. The city's IT department can rely on many local IT service providers. It is also supported by the university, where this type of software development is actively used in teaching and research.

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A new advocacy group representing seven Italian free and open source companies and developers aims to become "a point of reference for central and local public administrations, for public utilities, system integrators and companies". The Rete Italiana Open Source (Italian Open Source Network or RIOS) in total count some 450 software developers. "The open source market is one of the few growing sectors, thanks to its obvious benefits, including the avoiding IT vendor lock-in, lower IT costs and the high quality of the solutions."

A new advocacy group representing seven Italian free and open source companies and developers aims to become "a point of reference for central and local public administrations, for public utilities, system integrators and companies". The Rete Italiana Open Source (Italian Open Source Network or RIOS) in total count some 450 software developers. "The open source market is one of the few growing sectors, thanks to its obvious benefits, including the avoiding IT vendor lock-in, lower IT costs and the high quality of the solutions."

The e-government services of the government of South Tyrol are automatically tested for compatibility with free software desktops. It uses scripts that try out online services, written by software developers working for the TIS Innovation Park in Bolzano, the capital of this autonomous province in Italy. "Our government understands the importance of free software", says Shaun Schutte, one of the developers. "We help to make sure their services are 100 percent compliant with open standards."

The e-government services of the government of South Tyrol are automatically tested for compatibility with free software desktops. It uses scripts that try out online services, written by software developers working for the TIS Innovation Park in Bolzano, the capital of this autonomous province in Italy. "Our government understands the importance of free software", says Shaun Schutte, one of the developers. "We help to make sure their services are 100 percent compliant with open standards."

A group of 45 Italian and international advocacy groups of free and open source are pressing the Italian Ministry of Education to make its IT tests for prospective teachers platform independent. The ministry currently only tests their understanding of a single proprietary system. The groups urge the ministry to devise tests "closer to the realities of the IT world".

The ministry did not yet respond to repeated calls by phone and email seeking comments.

A group of 45 Italian and international advocacy groups of free and open source are pressing the Italian Ministry of Education to make its IT tests for prospective teachers platform independent. The ministry currently only tests their understanding of a single proprietary system. The groups urge the ministry to devise tests "closer to the realities of the IT world".

The ministry did not yet respond to repeated calls by phone and email seeking comments.

A group of 45 Italian and international advocacy groups of free and open source are pressing the Italian Ministry of Education to make its IT tests for prospective teachers platform independent. The ministry currently only tests their understanding of a single proprietary system. The groups urge the ministry to devise tests "closer to the realities of the IT world".

The ministry did not yet respond to repeated calls by phone and email seeking comments.

Those interested in determining the technical and economical criteria that will allow Italy's public administrations to buy proprietary software solutions instead of going for free and open source, have only today left to register at the Agency for Digital Italy. The rules are needed after changes made by Italy's government this summer to its Digital Administration Code.

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Those interested in determining the technical and economical criteria that will allow Italy's public administrations to buy proprietary software solutions instead of going for free and open source, have only today left to register at the Agency for Digital Italy. The rules are needed after changes made by Italy's government this summer to its Digital Administration Code.

read more

Those interested in determining the technical and economical criteria that will allow Italy's public administrations to buy proprietary software solutions instead of going for free and open source, have only today left to register at the Agency for Digital Italy. The rules are needed after changes made by Italy's government this summer to its Digital Administration Code.

read more