Governments should utilize Information Technology (IT) procurement policy to help achieve transparency, competition, measurement and efficiency in the purchasing process. A policy which incorporates open source as a choice for solutions complements the role of standards. Open source and open standards together can help strengthen a framework for procuring and delivering solutions to meet the needs of government.
Cheap PCs for the billions of digital have-nots are still expensive and, worse, are not designed for the people who need them most.
The path to the Information Society is paved by the advantages provided by Open Source Software.
By implementing fair ICT procurement practices informed by a government policy that promotes the larger economic welfare and social benefits, we can begin to rephrase “may the best product win” into “may the most beneficial product win”.
It’s not that freedom is so very right, it’s that slavery is so very wrong.
Governments are choosing Open Source Software (OSS) to encourage competition while keeping costs low and quality high - so let’s examine what OSS is all about.
The UN’s grand summit to articulate a common vision for the global Information Society disappoints and, at the end of the day, only serves to marginalize the people who need the benefits of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) the most.
Government is the largest user of software in a society. But just as importantly, it also must promote, build and protect a country’s indigenous software industry.
Computational devices will pervade everyday items from the car to the toaster and everyday activities from money and banking to medicine and travel.
© 2000-2009 Technetra. All rights reserved. Contact | Terms of Use
