NCOSPR will serve as an open source repository and resource center for government and public sector entities. This National Resource Center (NRC) will serve as a hosting (cohosting/mirror) venue and collaborative development environment portal (www.GovernmentForge.org) for open source software programs, applications, tools and components that are relevant to, and/or can be utilized by government and public sector entities. The NRC will also serve as the coordination body for development, customization, maintenance and support services through the NCOSPR.

Additional technical resources and access to application/program repositories will be provided by IT industry partners and open source community organizations.

GovernmentForge will serve as an interactive portal to host and maintain open source software programs, tools and components that are relevant to and designed for use by government/public sector entities (federal/state/municipal and Department of Defense).

GovernmentForge will provide multiple layers of access for government users depending on the type of program/application requested, the existing availability and access of the program within the marketplace, the amount of value-added customization and maintenance relating to the program/application and the level of security/classification relating to the program/application. These levels of access will also mandate the need for, and amount of subscription fee, required for access to the program/application portal. The conceptual structure will include three (3) levels of access.

  - Free version is available to all govt/public sector entities. Updates will be collected and made available through the GovernmentForge site. No special registration or coordination of programs is needed or required. This version will be available to all and will provide information on common viable solutions that are currently in use and have a "track record". within government systems. This section will also provide access to additional information including reference accounts, business case studies (ROI/TCO), implementation strategies, related-policy and security information and information on available support and maintenance vendors.

  - Subscription version will be available for government and public sector entities who wish to register the programs they currently use so that a coordinated and up-to-date distribution of upgrades, fixes and security information is actively distributed to their designated IT representatives. This version will provide proactive update and upgrade notices, coordination and compatibility reports and studies for multi- and cross-application interoperability. The subscription version will also provide a graduated support option for the applications being utilized.

  - Sensitive Information Subscription Version updates will also be a subscription service available to government entities who have special requirements with regards to program interaction, security/classification or other special needs. This level will target the special needs and specific security and regulatory requirements of entities within the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community,Security design and updates for this level will be based on the Department of Defense Information Assurance Vulnerability Alert/Management (IAVA/M) model.

The NRC will also be involved in managing technology transfer, hosting an interactive portal to host and maintain open souce software programs, tools and components that are relevant to and designed for use by government/public sector entities.

There will be a variety of information distribution models explored, from the sensitive information subscription model (allowing for special requirements with regards to program interaction, security/classification, or other special needs) to collaborative development environments.

In addition, the NRC itself will provide customized development services where software needs within public sector organizations have been identified. Once a need is realized, the NRC will organize a consortium team of industry and community experts to bid and produce a collaborative open source software solution to address the need.