It sounded like a good idea to officials in Italy’s central Tuscany region. The regional council passed a law that encouraged government IT managers to use open-source software.There’s just one problem. According to a top minister in Rome, the Tuscan law is written to favor open-source technology at the expense of competition with proprietary options. And the way the rules are written, it could violate European Union free market rules.The law went into effect in Tuscany on Jan. 30, citing as a guiding principle: “The promotion, support and preferential use of solutions based on open-source programs, respecting the principle of technological neutrality.”That apparently contradictory wording sparked debate in Rome. Lucio Stanca, the government’s innovation and technologies minister, warned that the guidelines could interfere with the workings of the free market. Stanca, a former IT professional and 30-year veteran of IBM, told Italy’s parliament in May that the Tuscan law, “if incorrectly interpreted, could influence equal opportunities on the market, violating competition laws to the detriment of other solutions, such as proprietary systems that can be acquired by license.”Stanca himself had issued a directive in February calling on the civil service to consider open-source applications in IT purchasing as a way to broaden choices. “You have to choose the best solution in terms of value for money,” Stanca said. “My approach is very pragmatic, not ideological. If they have a preferential approach, that is wrong.” Carla Guidi, the Tuscan regional councillor responsible for IT, insisted there was no conflict between the region and the minister. The law “is intended to broaden the market and certainly not to exclude anyone,” she says. The debate aside, Stanca has expressed satisfaction at the increasing rate of open-source software use in the Italian civil service over the past two years. Italy is now fourth in the world for the percentage of its IT professionals engaged in open-source software development, Stanca told Parliament recently. Related content brandpost Sponsored by SAP When natural disasters strike Japan, Ōita University’s EDiSON is ready to act With the technology and assistance of SAP and Zynas Corporation, Ōita University built an emergency-response collaboration tool named EDiSON that helps the Japanese island of Kyushu detect and mitigate natural disasters. By Michael Kure, SAP Contributor Dec 07, 2023 5 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by BMC BMC on BMC: How the company enables IT observability with BMC Helix and AIOps The goals: transform an ocean of data and ultimately provide a stellar user experience and maximum value. By Jeff Miller Dec 07, 2023 3 mins IT Leadership brandpost Sponsored by BMC The data deluge: The need for IT Operations observability and strategies for achieving it BMC Helix brings thousands of data points together to create a holistic view of the health of a service. By Jeff Miller Dec 07, 2023 4 mins IT Leadership how-to How to create an effective business continuity plan A business continuity plan outlines procedures and instructions an organization must follow in the face of disaster, whether fire, flood, or cyberattack. Here’s how to create a plan that gives your business the best chance of surviving such an By Mary K. Pratt, Ed Tittel, Kim Lindros Dec 07, 2023 11 mins Small and Medium Business IT Skills Backup and Recovery Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe