Open Data - How Much Does It Cost? - GovEx

" ... The sounds of open data benefits have been far louder to drown out the costs  associated. Nonetheless, it is refreshing that governments at all levels are embracing open data initiatives for many of its rewards. So, what are the returns for open data initiatives? Open data advocates, practitioners, and providers of the service are often unanimous and quick to point out its benefits among others that it promotes transparency, improves efficiency and effectiveness of government services, fosters innovation, creates new business opportunities, etc. But when asked, 'how much does it cost?' the response is always time-consuming. The answers could vary widely from 'no information is available,' 'nobody can tell,' 'zero dollars to millions of dollars' through to 'it depends on…' So why the variations in answers and why is there so little information about the cost of open data initiatives? Your guess is good as mine, but the answer might require another long article. This post is intended to highlight some of the common cost elements and how much cities are investing in open data initiatives ..."