[LINK] Show me the money

[Marghanita da Cruz]

grove at zeta.org.au wrote:
> On Wed, 29 Oct 2008, Marghanita da Cruz wrote:
> 
>> I wonder what the savings to the Australian Tax payer if all governments
>> switched to Apache. Though this wouldn't necessarily be savings, it 
>> would be
>> money available to do more things. I would call that an efficiency 
>> dividend!
> 
> We at <some_uni> are looking for cost cuts in some IT areas. Mentioning 
> Apache (or perl or postgres or mysql) is anathema to the management.   
> If it ain't shrink wrapped and comes with a EULA, it's obviously not a 
> product.   Even our Directory Services project is under tender with the 
> CAUDIT offering of Sun One IDM etc which is
>   mostly free having to compete with products that cost $$$$$$ because 
> of some stupid feature or another.   And our policy is not to write code 
> in house,
> so every time I mention that whatever product they get is going to 
> require some sort of glue code, I get the daggers.
> 
> When I was at the VC's forum, I mentioned wastage (not being specific) 
> and she appeared to be interested, but management driving the processes 
> just wastes anyway.
> 

The policy on Software maintenance is interesting. The other real problem many
organisations face is ongoing support. The risk management approach seems to be
is we can turn to the vendor if all else fails or the only people who know how to
use the system leave the organisation. To some degree it is also tied up in the
skills shortage, ICT department culture being seen as unique or more
of an achilles heel than other groups in the organisation.

But leaving all that aside, I would argue that Apache Web Server, Open Office,
and maybe linux (for my  part I am a knoppix fan) now meet the support requirements.

  Imagine if the Federal Government effectively Guaranteed Apache by standardising
on Apache. This would involve commitment to its support and development.

Financial/Student systems are a little more problematic and CAUDIT is wary
about software development, given the RMIT disaster.
Victorian Auditor - General's Office Report on Ministerial Portfolios May 1999
DEVELOPMENT OF UNIVERSITY IT SYSTEMS - THE UNIPOWER CASMAC PROJECT
<http://www.audit.vic.gov.au/old/mp99/mp99doe.htm#3.1.4>

However, I suspect there is an opportunity as we move to a new architecture
for service delivery (and I don't mean ITIL). I wrote (and even lectured) about
this a long time ago, but did not know about Open Source at the time...

The Internet as a Vehicle for Service Delivery.
<http://www.ramin.com.au/marg/services.html>

and Build or Buy
<http://www.ramin.com.au/marg/borb.html>

Marghanita
-- 
Marghanita da Cruz
http://www.ramin.com.au
Phone: (+61)0414 869202