GOSCON is the Government Open Source Conference, an annual event produced by Oregon State University's Open Source Lab. The conference focuses on the role of open source software in government operations, in its model's use for collaborative development for large-scale governmenta pps, and also as an enabler of leading Open Government and Transparency initiatives throughout the United States and beyond. Speakers come from all levels of government, from City Officials to Federal Agencies. Notable past speakers include Aneesh Chopra, who then became Chief Technology Officer of the United States, Vivek Kundra, who then became Chief Information Officer of the United States, and Dugan Petty, Chief Information Officer of the State of Oregon. The conference has welcomed visitors from as far afield as Brazil, Belgium, Japan and Russia.

Attendees are be treated to in-depth explorations of Open technology strategy, policy, acquisitions, operations, organizational readiness, exemplary projects and business cases. Conference content includes lessons learned in the development and integration of open source solutions into agency environments, exposure to projects and existing software applications and services, and opportunities to establish and foster relationships for collaboration around shared interests. GOSCON offers a place for government and industry luminaries and to gather, present and network with representatives from both public and private sectors, in a non-profit setting.

Who Attends?

Senior Information Technology officers in the public sector;  Chief Information Officers and other managers with a responsibility for Information Technology, along with their senior strategic planning, software development, architecture, procurement and legal staff attend this conference. Cross-state associations with common or shared business practices and problems attend and consider collaborative development projects. GOSCON has also been an ideal event for advocates of open government, transparency and open source projects.

GOSCON provides an educational forum to explore both the business case and real-world applications for open source methods and technologies to deliver the next generation of government services. Attendees  hear from industry experts and their peers’ lessons learned in the development and integration of open source solutions, and  establish communities for collaboration around common interests. The format of the conference provides ample time for direct engagement with speakers and attendees.

History of the Conference

The Government Open Source Conference (GOSCON) is produced and hosted by Oregon State University’s Open Source Lab (OSL) as part of its mission to educate and build community. In 2005 a Public Sector program was established within the OSL to educate and share information amongst governmental organizations and other public sector institutions. While many highly technical events exist for developers, system administrators and other technical staff, no adequate source of information or event existed which was designed for information technology management and the staff they rely on to evaluate, plan and resource, and oversee implementation of enterprise-class technology solutions. The non-profit GOSCON was established in October of 2005 as a platform for education, information, and collaboration. Running 2005 - 2010, GOSCON has been key in fuel the adoption of open source technology in the public sector by attracting IT leaders worldwide to its annual event.

In 2013, plans are underway to resume the conference following a period of program restructure at OSL to increase its academic and research activities.

For more information on past GOSCON’s, please visit the Conference Archives.