Improve
Not all free software can be used immediately and without restrictions, especially when it comes to security and feature requirements. This is where the advantage of free software lies: It allows people to improve the software and actively participate in fixing bugs and implementing new features. In this way, free software can be continuously developed and adapted to the needs of users.
Code Contributions
Besides the self-publications of Landeshauptstadt München, we also contribute to other FOSS projects through Contributions. Contributions can take different forms and do not always have to include new features or bug fixes. Also the correction or update of documentation can be a valuable contribution.
All contributions are created and contributed using our github account as fork repositories.
With the Open Source Sabatical, employees as well as external developers can participate in open source projects for a limited period of time.
Funding
Even though open source software is free, development and maintenance must be paid for. Different business models for open source software enable secure and stable software and sponsor further development.
These business models can vary widely depending on the developer and use case, and range from providing support and training to developing customized solutions for customers.
Sponsoring
We financially support free software that we use frequently. In this way, we can help to ensure that the development and maintenance of free software remains guaranteed and that the software continues to meet our needs.
We use opencollective.com/itm for the transparent implementation of our sponsorship payments.
Further projects will follow in accordance with the City Council resolution Strategy for financing open source libraries and software used by the city of November 15, 2023.
Support
Free software is best understood by those who create it. The City of Munich relies on commercial support as an important way of financing and promoting free software. Manufacturers offer highly qualified support and can have a direct influence on development. The city generally concludes contracts with service providers that ensure an orderly lifecycle and timely security updates. This minimizes the risk of support gaps if, for example, a community project is temporarily orphaned.
Open Core
The open core model is a business model for financing commercially produced open source software. A "core functionality" or feature-limited version of the software product is offered as free and open source software, while commercial versions or add-ons are available as proprietary software.
The City of Munich uses this model to test software more quickly and promote the FOSS ecosystem. By being independent of a single manufacturer, we avoid financial dependencies and can operate the software independently.