Two years ago, the U.S. government took an important step towards its technological future. The issuance of the Federal Source Code Policy in 2016 called for "efficiency, transparency, and innovation through reusable and open source software." Since then, a number of important programs and initiatives have been created, including Code.gov, code.mil and others.

Yet we believe there is still a significant amount of untapped potential for open source in government. That’s why we have created the Red Hat OPEN FIRST Road Tour, a nationwide seminar series aimed at bringing the open source discussion to government leaders across the U.S.

Open first, everywhere

Each event features technology leaders in government, academia, and industry, including Red Hat executives; lively discussions on the open source technologies impacting federal agencies; real-world stories; and networking opportunities. The events also show participants how they can incorporate open source development and culture into their organizations and how Red Hat Open Innovation Labs can take them from development concept to execution in a working lab environment.

The discussions will focus on topics of relevance to the audiences in the local areas we visit. Some events may focus on issues relevant to the Navy, for instance, while others might center on the Army or another military branch or Department of Defense agency. So far, we’ve held events in San Diego and Colorado Springs. The reaction we’ve gotten from attendees at those events has been gratifying.

And now we’re bringing the tour to Washington, D.C.

Bringing it home

This September, the OPEN FIRST Road Tour will make a stop in the home of our nation’s government operations. The D.C. event will feature a packed roster of speakers and sessions. Here’s a taste of what attendees of our D.C. OPEN FIRST Road Tour can expect to experience:

Orran Krieger, founding director of the Cloud Computing Initiative at Boston University and lead on the Massachusetts Open Cloud (MOC), will discuss the work being done between Red Hat, the MOC and Boston Children’s Hospital to deliver faster medical image processing and real-time collaboration for quicker and more accurate diagnoses. Red Hat and Boston University have a long-term collaboration agreement to advance research and education on open source and emerging technologies.

Red Hat U.S. Public Sector chief architect Adam Clater will talk about how digital transformation is impacting government agencies and the role that open source software can play in that transformation.

Leading government experts will lend their voices to panel discussions on open source innovation, hybrid cloud, tips for excelling on FITARA scorecards, and more.

Two sessions will focus on DevOps and DevSecOps. Tia White, senior technology manager at Capital One, will break down the hype surrounding DevOps, while Shawn Wells, chief security strategist for Red Hat’s U.S. Public Sector team will discuss and explain DevSecOps and how government agencies can integrate it into their security efforts. There will also be a panel discussion on DevOps success stories.

Mike Walker, global director of Red Hat Open Innovation Labs, will discuss the cultural shift required to successfully integrate open source into the fabric of government organizations.

The event is complimentary and will feature breakfast. It will be held Sept. 18, at the Renaissance Washington, D.C. hotel. Space is limited, so register today. We look forward to seeing you there!

More to come

The OPEN FIRST Road Tour will be making additional stops throughout 2018. We’re currently planning events in Sacramento, California, Albany, New York., and New York City this fall and winter. Check here for more information and to register to attend an event near you.

Learn more about these and other upcoming events by visiting the Red Hat Events page.