In her forward to the newly updated and released , Steward wrote that the guide needed to be revised and updated due to the increasing maturity of open source software and .

"This guide provides practical information to assist agencies assess open source software solutions, including the key issues to consider when procuring open source software," the forward reads.

"This guide also provides information on the types of open source software licences, licensing risks and risk mitigation techniques."

Steward also offers an updated definition and recognition of open source, which is likely to please advocates of the software form such as Richard Stallman, who has argued that .

"Open source software is an alternative to proprietary software that provides users with the ability to view, copy, modify and distribute the software, subject to licensing conditions," the forward reads.