"To effectively achieve its missions, the Department of Defense must develop and update its software-based capabilities faster than ever, to anticipate new threats and respond to continuously changing requirements", said the memo, lending support for the concept as part of DOD policy.
"Unfortunately, there have been misconceptions and misinterpretations of the existing rules, policies and regulations that deal with software and apply to open source, that have hampered effective DOD use and development of open source."
Clarification given by the DOD included a description of some of the benefits of open source software. These included broad peer review, the ability to modify source code, and reduced reliance on a particular software vendor.
The memo singled out the perceived obligation to distribute any modifications to open source code, arguing that there are caveats to this rule that could make it usable in classified systems. Many open source licenses permit users to modify open source code for internal use only, it pointed out.
Coincidentally, the White House recently switched to the open-source Drupal content management system. The Obama administration reportedly wanted a more flexible development environment as a platform for its vision of a more interactive government.