(Washington, D.C.) – Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) President Tom Schatz will be speaking on a panel today at noon sponsored by the Association for Competitive Technology.

Who:               Tom Schatz, President of CAGW

What:             Panel Discussion on Buying “Free” Software – Monetary and Non-Monetary Costs for Government IT

When:             Tuesday, June 23, 2009 from 12 noon until 1:30 pm

Where:           Hyatt Hotel on Capitol Hill

400 New Jersey Ave., NW

Resourceful policymakers are increasingly looking for ways to reduce and maximize their spending on information technology (IT), both for their constituent relations and for the government at-large.  A tough economy combined with a directive to find ways to make the government more transparent, and make information easier for citizens to use, is leading many to look to “free” software and services.  These solutions may have zero dollar license fees or are delivered through the “cloud” of the Internet and are supported by advertisements.  But are these truly “free”?

CAGW President Tom Schatz will address how policymakers can assess the total cost of software applications and services, with special cost considerations for IT solutions that depend on new media technologies.  Other presenters include Braden Cox, Association for Competitive Technology, Rob Atkinson, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, and Peter Corbett, iStrategyLabs. 

The panel will also discuss a newly-released white paper that analyzes the cost of “free” and explains it for policymakers and procurement officers.  Hard copies of the new report, Paying for Free:  Security, Privacy, and Sustainability Costs, will be distributed at the press conference.  The report is also be available online at www.cagw.org and at www.actonline.org.  Tom Schatz’s statement will be available at www.cagw.org. 

To schedule an interview with Tom Schatz, please contact Leslie K. Paige at 202.467.5334 or by e-mail at lpaige@cagw.org.  Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government