The Spanish city of Ciudad Real is to switch to using free and open source software. A resolution by the city’s Ganemos party to use open source for all of the city’s 400 PC workstations, received a majority of votes in a meeting on 23 May. The city will begin with an inventory of the potential hurdles, according to press reports.
Free and open source software can cut costs, a local news web site quotes one of the councillors, who nevertheless urged caution, as implementation problems can sometimes paralyse a city. Other council members expect that the IT department will need more staff members to help manage the transition.
The proposal was supported by the city’s socialist party (PSOE). A similar proposal had been launched in 2014, asking for the gradual phasing out of proprietary software whenever the licences expired.
The city already uses several solutions based on free and open source software, predominantly for online services.
More information:
Mi Ciudad Real news item (in Spanish)
Mi Ciudad Real news item (in Spanish)
Ganemos Ciudad Real on Facebook