Open Source and effective service integration

It is now around ten years since open source software first appeared on the professional IT landscape. A lot has happened since then. From the beginning, open source represented a clear desire to exploit mass-collaboration as a means to democratise software – increasing accessibility, creating new models for quality, and changing traditional ideas of acquisition and ownership.

Since then, most significantly, open source software has changed position – moving from the margin to the mainstream, it has become an established constituent in ICT for both the public and private sectors. In the public sector, the preference for open source is particularly evident - as long as the case for cost and quality is made clear.

Over the last ten years, Getronics itself has also been through some significant changes. While maintaining a respected position as an ICT service provider with clients in central and local government, industry and financial services, we are now coming to be regarded as a service integrator rather than simply as a provider of point services. This is thanks, in part, to our position within the KPN Group and our adoption of a collaborative partnership model for international service delivery.