Comment from email: Comments from the Coalition for Enterprise Open Source Software in Government (CEOSSG)

To Whom It May Concern:

The Coalition for Enterprise Open Source Software (CEOSSG) appreciates the opportunity to present our comments (attached) to President Trump’s American Technology Council regarding the draft IT Modernization Report.

CEOSSG urges the American Technology Council and the Office of American Innovation to promote the use of open source software throughout the government as it is a critical element of IT modernization. In addition to the attached comments, CEOSSG has two overriding concerns that it would like to share with the ATC and OAI:

CEOSSG believes that both OMB and GSA should be doing more, especially in regard to the training of Contracting Officers, to ensure that federal agencies do not waste taxpayer dollars in customizing Free Open Source solutions (FOSS) when commercial off the shelf Enterprise Open Source solutions (EOSS) are readily available

CEOSSG further believes that federal use of unlicensed and unsupported community OS solutions increases technical risks in general and introduces cyber vulnerabilities in particular

CEOSSG represents the interests of ten EOSS vendors that are doing close to a billion dollars of business with the federal government. We stand ready to provide the Trump Administration with our help to ensure the continued use of open source software in support of federal IT modernization.

Respectfully,

Robert G. Efrus
CEOSSG President
[CEOSSG Comments on IT Modernization Plan.docx](https://github.com/GSA/modernization/files/1323038/CEOSSG.Comments.on.IT.Modernization.Plan.docx)