"California lawmakers and administrators got an earful on open-source software Friday: A state government panel considered proposals that would boost government use of Linux and other technologies.

The proposals appear in a lengthy report from the California Performance Review Commission, charged by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger with figuring out how to make state government work better and cheaper.

Among the ideas in the panel's $32 billion cost-cutting recommendations: favoring open-source software over proprietary alternatives for new IT purchases. The report doesn't project cost-savings for such a move but describes open-source products as more flexible and secure than the proprietary code that dominates government systems today. State agencies "should take an inventory of software purchases and software renewals...and implement open-source alternatives where feasible," according to the report."

C|Net