The Romanian government is about to spend almost half a billion of Euro on non-free software. The announcement of this deal was just a few days before the Free Software conference eLiberatica in Bucharest.

The Liberal Democrats have hit out at the government's failure to use more open source software, three years after it pledged to avoid 'lock-in' to proprietary systems. The government published a policy document, 'Open Source Software: use within UK government' in 2004, promising to consider open source alongside proprietary products in IT procurements...

Romanian public libraries can now use an Open Source library system for managing book loans and reservations, searching catalogues, managing library assets, maintaining a website and general administration.

17 September 2007 - All government agencies must change to open source software, the national government says in an action plan presented today. Amsterdam is already testing such software and will decide on whether to renew its Microsoft contract in December.

“Information on the total use and value of open source in government is not held centrally and could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost.”

But open source software did “play an important role” in major government applications including the Directgov web portal, the online vehicle licensing system and Jobcentre Plus’s system to help people to find work, Merron added.

The New Zealand State Services Commission's (SSC) championing of open-source software in government helped its ICT (Information and Communications Technology) branch pick up an award in the government category of the inaugural New Zealand Open Source Awards, held in Wellington this month.

When the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) couldn't depend on a proprietary portal solution to meet its needs any longer, CDHS County Infrastructure Manager Ron Cash turned to open source software, because of the benefits of community development and the flexibility to customize applications for a perfect fit. The financial benefits of open source are nice too, Cash says.

Minister of Communication and Information Technology Tifatul Sembiring said open source software offered unlimited opportunities for local businesses and human resources in the information and communications industry.

Every time you turn around, it seems like another government is considering using open-source software as an alternative to expensive proprietary software. While the progress has been slow, as it usually is with governments, the trend is obvious.
In fact, not only is it obvious, but it's also very logical. Think about it...