2012 -- S 2541

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LC01898

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2012

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S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N

URGING STATE AGENCIES TO CONSIDER USING OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE

     Introduced By: Senators Pichardo, Ruggerio, Goodwin, Metts, and Miller

     Date Introduced: February 28, 2012

     Referred To: Senate Corporations

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     WHEREAS, Open Source Software is computer software that is available in source code

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form. The source code and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright holders are

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provided under a free software license that permits users to study, change, improve, and, at times,

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also to distribute the software; and

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     WHEREAS, There are many benefits Open Source Software offers state agencies,

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including reliability, stability, cost, and freedom; and

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     WHEREAS, In a closed source software environment, when there is a defect with the

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software, delays can come between the venders of the software and the users who are

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experiencing the defect. The delays are due to the defect reports that need to be filed with the

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closed source software. Once filed, a decision needs to be made by the vendor on whether or not

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to issue an update for the software; and

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     WHEREAS, In an Open Source Software environment, because of the availability of

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source code, a severe or minor defect can be repaired within a matter of hours of its detection.

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Able developers of the Open Source Software are also able to fix it, as well as report and issue an

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update on their own authority. The user of the Open Source Software can choose whether to use

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the update or use the repaired version of the program. That, in turn, increases the reliability

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standard of the Open Source Software; and

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     WHEREAS, In a closed source environment, as software ages, support for the software

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tends to become unavailable. If there is no compatibility software released so that the old versions

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of the program can be used with updated versions, new, expensive, and potentially error

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strickened software may need to be purchased; and

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     WHEREAS, In an Open Source Software environment, the need to constantly purchase

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upgraded software is virtually mitigated because the source code is easily assessable. As newer

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Open Source Software is released, so are compatible drivers for the old software, so that the old

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software can keep operating and the user once again has a choice to upgrade to the newer version;

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and

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     WHEREAS, In addition to having to purchase newer programs in a closed source

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software environment, an agency may have to purchase multiple licenses for the program to be

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installed in multiple computers. This can become extremely costly; and

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     WHEREAS, In an Open Source Software environment, much of the software is available

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for free, and the need to purchase multiple licenses for multiple installations is eliminated; and

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     WHEREAS, Rhode Island’s state agencies must consider every option for decreasing

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costs and increasing efficiencies; now, therefore be it

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     RESOLVED That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

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hereby urges all state agencies to consider using Open Source Software to support their

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operations; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of the State be and he hereby is authorized and directed

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to transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to all directors of Rhode Island state agencies

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and departments.

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LC01898

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