A new dedicated open source body is due for launch, representing the open source community of Europe. The National Open Centre (NOC) will officially launch on February 26th, uniting various members of the European open source community including representatives of the ICT industry.
Working as a governing body for open source issues the NOC will exist to develop strategies for effective open source policy development whilst promoting innovation and developing standards. It will effectively be a thinktank for prevalent open source issues.
'The work of the NOC will also contribute to coordinate and further the use of open source and open standards at the European level,' explained Barbara Held of the European commission.
'We need such national focal points that push for openness and interoperability to create pan-European synergies.'
The NOC will be based in Birmingham, inviting representatives to take part in ongoing initiatives and developments.