Is Open Source a Viable Option for Government?

In recent years there have been thousands of articles, blog posts, and ancillary commentary evaluating the use of Open Source technology by government. In recent months, the commentary has increased based on the State of California’s recent decision to approve open source as a viable offering for the State. www.cio.ca.gov/.../IT_Policy_Letter_10-01_Open_Source_Software.pdf. The use of Open Source software is an important decision for government and business technology decision makers alike and should be evaluated on a program basis. Further, the decision to use open source does not and should not be an all or nothing proposition. 

A few years ago Bruce Tate and Justin Gehtland wrote a book entitled Better, Faster, Lighter Java.  In this book they argue that sometimes a simpler solution is the right answer.   As developers we often become attached to our "Golden Hammer" and try to use it for every purpose.  Large Java EE containers such as Weblogic, JBoss and WebSphere have a place in our toolbox, but sometimes what you need is a simple container which starts quickly and has a small footprint. 

By now we are all familiar with the debate over open source software versus proprietary software. We understand both models for the most part. Open source means the source code of the program is free to modify but in the end money is still made on software via support for it or using community input to sell a better product. Proprietary software is the Microsoft Office or Mac OS operating system software we buy. The consumer has no direct input into the software but can obtain a certain level of free support for it.

However the debate continues as each camp tries to out-sell the other. From a Systems Integration point of view do you recommend JBoss or Websphere for a client solution?