http://dbs.cordis.lu/fep-cgi/srchidadb?ACTION=D&CALLER=PROJ_IST&QM_EP_RCN_A=71220 A Consortium for studying, evaluating, and supporting the introduction of Open Source software and open data standards in the Public Administration Funded under 6th FWP (Sixth Framework Programme) Action Line: Networked business and governments Public Administrations (PA) spend considerable funds for Commercial Off-The-Shelf software licenses. By using appropriate technologies such expenses might be reduced. The Consortium aims at introducing, analysing, and supporting the use of Open Data Standards (ODS) and Open Source (OS) software for personal productivity and document management in European PAs. To date similar initiatives were mainly performed at a local level, with no coordination, no sharing of knowledge and no rigorous cost/benefit analysis. Introduction of ODS and OSS might be hampered by: Cost of data migration; Interoperability and integration with existing solutions; Personnel training. Alleged advantages of OSS and ODS include extreme versatility; adaptability; transparency of functioning; big savings on software licenses for PAs and citizens (no additional software needed for accessing information and services; greater accessibility of public services). Alleged advantages of COTS in PAs include that it has been already in use for a long time; it works rather well; it is well accepted by the users; it has large support knowledge bases. To resolve this dilemma a detailed and objective study will be performed. Only on the basis of results of such studies PA managers can make an informed decision whether the migration to OSS is actually producing advantages. Project details Project Acronym: COSPA Project Reference: 002164 Start Date: 2004-01-01 Duration: 24 months Project Cost: 4.03 million euro Contract Type: Specific Targeted Research Project End Date: 2005-12-31 Project Status: Execution Project Funding: 2.61 million euro Coordinator Organisation: LIBERA UNIVERSITA DI BOLZANO VIA RAFFAELLO SERNESI 1 39100 BOLZANO (BOZEN) ITALY Participants THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD UNITED KINGDOM AALBORG UNIVERSITET DENMARK INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES BELGIUM BELGIUM UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK IRELAND MAGYAR TUDOMANYOS AKADEMIA SZAMITASTECHNIKAI ES AUTOMATIZALASI KUTATO INTEZET HUNGARY CONECTA S.R.L. ITALY PROVINCIA DI GENOVA ITALY CONSORZIO DEI COMUNI DELLA PROVINCIA DI BOLZANO ITALY SOCITM LIMITED UNITED KINGDOM TOROKBALINT NAGYKOZSEG ONKORMANYZATA POLGARMESTERI HIVATALA HUNGARY BEAUMONT HOSPITAL IRELAND HANSTHOLM KOMMUNE DENMARK SOUTH WEST REGIONAL AUTHORITY IRELAND PROVINCIA DI PISA ITALY Record Control Number: 71220 Update Date: 2004-03-23 -- Asteris Masouras Software developer "Id imperfectum manet dum confectum erit, radix lectii"