We’ve written on numerous occasions about open source adoption in government and education. The ways that open source solutions make sense in (and even philosophically complement) these areas are many, and often make any obstacles involved seem less critical. But for reasons that are frequently unrelated to the utility or appropriateness of open source software, adoption in the public sector has been slow.

It is on the increase, however. The Daily Gazette in Schenectady, New York, recently ran a piece detailing the reasons why the public sector has been hesitant about — but not entirely resistant to — adopting open source software.

Anyone who has worked in a public sector IT setting can attest that staff interest, knowledge, and receptiveness isn’t always enough to get the open source migration wheels in motion. It helps, but this is one area where timing is everything, and many factors need to converge — hardware life cycles, software license upgrades and contract expirations all play huge roles in determining whether the time is right (and the finances work) to make the switch.

What’s particularly interesting in the Gazette article, however, is a quote from the New York State Office of Technology spokeswoman, Angela Liotta:

…we consider the use of open-source code when selecting software but only do so when there is adequate and cost-effective support available for the product.

At this point, there are many open source projects with companies offering paid support — but in a public setting quotes from multiple vendors are a requirement. It’s hard to compare software (and support) of a proprietary nature with open source software in this situation, because while they are similar enough to achieve the same end result, they’re just different enough that determining each platform’s strengths and weaknesses isn’t logical — or possible.

Companies, agencies, and organizations are interested in — and exploring — their open source options. The timing is falling into place, and there’s now, obviously, a demand — and a great opportunity — for those offering open source support services.