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.
Price competition and multi-cultural flexibility introduced by OSS reinforces the need for companies such as Microsoft to be better team players to earn the respect and support of their customers.
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.
To build an open knowledge-based economy, the right problems must be recognized, supportive processes must be encouraged, and strong policies must be enacted.
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.
India is not alone in its efforts to determine the role government should play in balancing the advantages and disadvantages of open source vs proprietary software. But, because of a traditional lack of infrastructure and the availability of “discounted” proprietary packages, India faces some unique challenges in building up the strength of its local software industry.
Finally, Free and Open Source Software gets its turn at the helm!
Governments can neither create nor destroy successful technologies. They can, however, promote the welfare of a healthy and competitive software and technology industry and in turn benefit from increased revenue.
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