Most corporate and government IT departments believe that by deploying Linux or other open source technology, they are protected from the vendor lock-in that characterized the proprietary past. For instance, the MIT Business Review recently said: “[Open Source] severely limits the possibility of proprietary “lock-in”–where users become hostage to the software vendors whose products they buy.” The promise of open source is freedom of choice, right? Not exactly. Unfortunately, most people mistakenly equate the open source development process and its open code format with a customer’s ability to freely choose a technology solution. If the cost of moving from one open source solution to another is prohibitive, you are just as locked in to open source as you’d be to a closed source solution. This is, unfortunately, one of the biggest misunderstandings of open source, and one with costly consequences. A recent report titled “Roadmap for Open ICT Ecosystems” developed at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard law school suggests that corporations and government policies should “mandate technology choice, not software development models.” They are calling on governments to mandate open standards. Open standards are vitally important to ensure interoperability both now and in the future and reduce your risk as a technology user. Open standards, in fact, comprise far more than document formats: they should be used throughout the technology solution. The Linux Standard Base offers corporate IT a no-cost solution that delivers freedom of choice. In this session, executive director Jim Zemlin of the Linux Foundation will detail why government IT professionals can take advantage of this simple and effective risk management strategy.