Now that about one in 10 of the more than six million downloads of the JBoss Enterprise Middleware System come from government users, the company is forming a Government Group.

While JBoss open source software is already widely used in government agencies, both in the U.S. and abroad, and at the federal, state and local levels, it is hoped that the appointment, as general manager of the Government Group, of Drew Ladner - former chief information officer of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, will accelerate JBoss adoption in the government sector.

Appointed at Treasury to overhaul IT governance, boost IT security and launch key e-government applications,Ladner was named to the "Fed 100" within his first year for innovative reform efforts.

"Government agencies and programs have long been recognized as pioneers in implementing open source software because it's extremely cost-effective over the entire application lifecycle when compared to proprietary products," said Marc Fleury, chairman and CEO, JBoss. "In the U.S., many government organizations use the JBoss Enterprise Middleware System to support critical applications, and usage is quickly growing as government IT professionals look to maximize the value of taxpayers' dollars. With experience in both public and private sectors, Drew Ladner understands these organizations' requirements well and will ensure that customers receive the highest quality support from JBoss and our partners."

"The JBoss Enterprise Middleware System is the premier example of enterprise-grade open source software that is already powering mission-critical systems," said Ladner. "Professional Open Source is all about liberating customers from proprietary product lock-in and ensuring that their integrator partnerships maximize agility as business needs change. For example, after exhaustive evaluation, the Navy chose JBoss to support mission-critical aircraft carrier tactical flight operations because it's a great platform and won't hold them hostage to legacy product decisions for years - and the zero-cost license means dollars are put toward delivering critical services for our uniformed men and women."