Doug Ross @ Journal

Open source in the national interest

The DOD has released its official report (PDF) on open technology development. The roadmap offers a ringing endorsement of open-source software (OSS). Let's skip ahead to the conclusion:

To summarize: OSS and open source development methodologies are important to the National Security and National Interest of the U.S. for the following reasons: * Enhances agility of IT industries to more rapidly adapt and change to user needed capabilities. * Strengthens the industrial base by not protecting industry from competition. Makes industry more likely to compete on ideas and execution versus product lock-in. * Adoption recognizes a change in our position with regard to balance of trade of IT. * Enables DoD to secure the infrastructure and increase security by understanding what is actually in the source code of software installed in DoD networks. * Rapidly respond to adversary actions as well as rapid changes in the technology industrial base.

Back in '04, Canada's Defense R&D offered a similar assessment.