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Europe joins Linux revolution
EC public sector co-operating with move to open source...

By Gemma Simpson

Published: Friday 13 October 2006

The European Commission is to spend €4m on an open source observatory and repository (Osor) to span the member states and enable them to share information across the public sector.

The Osor will be a common repository where neighbouring member states' administrations can share software code and knowledge about open source.

The project aims to improve the return on IT investments and make applications more interoperable so common projects, such as mutual recognition of e-ID card formats - which differ from state to state - can be developed across the members' borders.

Unisys Belgium will create and manage the Osor.

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A spokesman for Unisys said the only problems he envisages in implementing the system will be with organisational and legal issues, as it crosses multiple administrations with different cultures and budgets.

The Osor, aimed only at the public sector, will serve 100,000 users and is an extension of the Commission's existing Open Source Observatory web portal. It is expected to be operational by late 2007.