This seems like something almost every government would have already done. Open source software means they aren't locked into a single vendor and can hire anybo

This seems like something almost every government would have already done. Open source software means they aren't locked into a single vendor and can hire anybody they wish (including their own internal developers) to modify their software to meet their needs. With proprietary software, a company like Microsoft or Apple can change your software whenever they want and however they want even if that isn't in your interest. From the perspective of a consumer, being able to hire your own developers to modify your software is basically useless. But this is very useful if you're the government and have relatively unlimited funds taxed from your subjects.