Remarks by the Hon. David Wu at the Government Open Source Conference
Thank you for having me here. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to welcome you to this very important conference.
GOSCON is the first conference of its kind. It is the first to provide public sector CIOs, IT professionals, and others in government the chance to take part in the innovative solutions and strategies developed by research universities, private sector companies, and communities of developers that have made Oregon the hub of open source.
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While much of the general public wrongly thinks of Open Source as slang for free software, we must recognize that Open Source represents a new paradigm for stimulating innovation. The innovative ideas coming out of the Open Source community here in Oregon and throughout the country represent the biggest trend in the computing industry since the Internet.
Oregon is the hub for Open Source because it is here that the best minds, businesses and organizations have gravitated: Oregon State University and OSU's Open Source Lab; the Open Source Development Labs, Beaverton's Open Technology Business Center, The Eclipse Foundation, IBM, Intel, and a list of private companies and development communities that is far too long to recite at this moment.
With Open Source technology encompassing an entire technological ecosystem, there are more opportunities than ever to increase efficiency, improve data security, enhance customer service, and save money.
The Linux operating system alone has become a powerful part of the world economy - deployed across all continents and embraced by governments and businesses worldwide.
Ultimately, the development of open source technology will provide more options for public agencies and officials at the local, state, and national level to better serve our citizens. From the development and application of the Veteran's Administration's internal electronic health information system, VistA, to the use of Linux in servers by Oregon's Department of Transportation, to the recent adoption of an open source format to store documents by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the role of Open Source technology in government in the United States is growing.
In the last several decades, the well-being of our economy and our citizens has become dependent on technological advances in software, the Internet, information systems, and communications devices.
As a member of the Science Committee and as the Ranking Member of the Environment, Technology, and Standards Subcommittee that oversees the National Institute of Technology and Standards, I have often, with my colleagues, addressed difficult questions of computer security, the use of standards, and the role of the Internet. In order to continue to provide responsible leadership and make sound policy decisions regarding technology, Congress must be aware and supportive of the open source technology sector and allow it to flourish in the public sector as well as the private sector.
This conference gives the unprecedented opportunity for those in government to interact and learn from the various leaders in the public and private sectors that are at the heart of open source innovation.
I am excited to be here today; I look forward to supporting the development of Open Source innovation here in Oregon; and I congratulate you all in taking advantage in this exciting new technology.
Thank you.
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