In January 2001 an ad-hoc group was established to look into open source initiatives. A situation report that shows the possibilities of the Nordic countries becoming the leaders on open source in Europe.
The ad-hoc group believes that:
The Nordic countries should take the lead on open source in Europe.
The promotion of open source creates innovation.
The use of open source in the public sector gives better software to lower costs.
Open source creates employment opportunities.
The financial and social advantages for the Nordic countries of using open source are considerable and justify an investment by the governments.
Suggested actions:
Collect and spread information
Propose platform strategies
Create new open source business ideas
Conclusions:
It is important to get young people acquainted with open source software as early as possible. The introduction of open source software in schools and universities is vital in this process
The Nordic countries have a lot of good entrepreneurs on the open source arena, but there is little being done to support that entrepreneurship
The active involvement of the public sector on different levels is a great boost to the acceptance of open source software
The total cost of open source software is lower than that of proprietary software. How much, is impossible to say as it depends on the needs and use of the individual system
Open source software fits well in the Nordic mindset
You can download the complete report at the link below.
Project duration: 01.01.2001 - 31.12.2002