govUKopenstandards

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The UK Government is consulting on Open Standards support, and asking for responses on various questions about how they could encourage Open Standards through government action. Here are the questions:

Section 1: defining open standards:

  • How does this definition of open standard compare to your view of what makes a standard 'open'?


  • What will the Government be inhibited from doing if this definition of open standards is adopted for software interoperability, data and document formats across central government?


  • For businesses attempting to break into the government IT market, would this policy make things easier or more difficult – does it help to level the playing field?


  • How would mandating open standards for use in government IT for software interoperability, data and document formats affect your organisation?


  • What effect would this policy have on improving value for money in the provision of government services?


  • Would this policy support innovation, competition and choice in delivery of government services?


  • In what way do software copyright licences and standards patent licences interact to support or prevent interoperability?


  • How could adopting (Fair) Reasonable and Non Discriminatory ((F)RAND) standards deliver a level playing field for open source and proprietary software solution providers?


  • Does selecting open standards which are compatible with a free or open source software licence exclude certain suppliers or products?


  • Does a promise of non-assertion of a patent when used in open source software alleviate concerns relating to patents and royalty charging?


  • Should a different rationale be applied when purchasing off-the-shelf software solutions than is applied when purchasing bespoke solutions?


  • In terms of standards for software interoperability, data and document formats, is there a need for the Government to engage with or provide funding for specific committees/bodies?


  • Are there any are other policy options which would meet the described outcomes more effectively?

Mandating Open Standards

  • What criteria should the Government consider when deciding whether it is appropriate to mandate particular standards?


  • What effect would mandating particular open standards have on improving value for money in the provision of government services?


  • Are there any legal or procurement barriers to mandating specific open standards in the UK Government's IT?


  • Could mandation of competing open standards for the same function deliver interoperable software and information at reduced cost?


  • Could mandation of open standards promote anti-competitive behaviour in public procurement?


  • How would mandation of specific open standards for government IT software interoperability, data and document formats affect your organisation/business?


  • How should the Government best deal with the issue of change relating to legacy systems or incompatible updates to existing open standards?


  • What should trigger the review of an open standard that has already been mandated?


  • How should the Government strike a balance between nurturing innovation and conforming to standards?


  • How should the Government confirm that a solution claiming conformity to a standard is interoperable in practice?


  • Are there any are other policy options which would meet the objective more effectively?

International Alignment

  • Is the proposed UK policy compatible with European policies, directives and regulations (existing or planned) such as the European Interoperability Framework version 2.0 and the reform proposal for European Standardisation?


  • Will the open standards policy be beneficial or detrimental for innovation and competition in the UK and Europe?


  • Are there any are other policy options which would meet the objectives described in this consultation paper more effectively?