How to Buy Free Software

Most procurement processes in universities and colleges are geared up to purchasing software solutions from vendors, and can have an inherent bias against selecting open source solutions even where they provide better value and are a better fit to user needs. In this workshop we’ll look at some of the common problems in institutional IT procurement at a policy, process and practice level, and how to fix them to offer a level playing field. We’ll also cover some of the techniques that can be used to evaluate open source solutions for sustainability and readiness.

Facilitator: Mark Johnson, OSS Watch, University of Oxford

Session code: A6