Free software gets a boost: Russia's government will be moving to open source software by 2015.

Russian PM Vladimir Putin has signed off on switching to open software by 2015. The order signed Putin includes orders to switch to software based on the Linux OS.

The plans include establishing a cross-government software repository, and individual repositories for specific agencies.

But it remains to be seen if the transition succeeds. Many of the Russian agencies do not have processes in place, and there is little IT automation. But the transition to free software will help save them money. The government could take the lead of telecom companies, which are perhaps the most efficient IT processes in the Eastern European region.

Russia isn't the first to transition to free software. In 2006, the City of Munich ordered the change to Linux, but as of 2010 had trouble transitioning to Linux.

(Via: Mashable)