| Report examines open source adoption |
May 04, 2004
A Dravis Group report describes the state of open source software (OSS) in the public and private sectors globally. The World Bank sponsored report offers strategies for IT decision-makers to better understand the dynamics associated with implementing open source software (OSS) solutions.
The Dravis Group report, Open Source Software, Perspectives for Development attempts to identify and describe some “best practices” for OSS as it is emerges as a cost effective solution for developing countries. The Dravis research was presented at the Information for Development Program (infoDev) Symposium.
The mission of infoDev is to help developing countries and their international partners use information and communication broadly and effectively as tools of poverty reduction and sustainable economic growth.
The report notes that OSS use is increasing globally and urges advocates to address business concerns as they offer products and services with Linux support. While the initial interest in open source seems to have been part of a drive to reduce IT budgets, today system administrators and CIOs are quickly becoming aware of the longer-term benefits and ROI that comes with flexibility, interoperability, and choices. The next generation of Linux solutions is blending proprietary and open source components successfully. And the authors suggest open source projects should remain focused on interoperability and open standards.
A comprehensive list of countries that are adopting Linux, along with a case study of initiatives and legislation driving local government support of open source is detailed in the paper. Localization efforts, the authors point out, also fits well into the open source development model. Linux offers a developing country a way to bridge the digital divide, without costly licenses and vendor lock-in.
The Dravis report also looks at what should be considered before deploying open source software. They describe the ways in which organization can participate in open source from running Linux on desktops to contributing source code and participating in the development process. Projects that are impacting open source and Linux are profiled with descriptions of the Linux Terminal Server Project, MYSQL, and Wikipedia among the examples of successful stories.
While Linux advocates have long stressed the benefits of "Open Source vs. proprietary software," the argument has now shifted as choosing Linux is now a mainstream concept for IT managers. Discussion centered on the merits of open source software and how it competes or complements commercial and proprietary solutions will drive Linux further into enterprise and onto government computers, advises the group.
Download the Dravis Group report
(Click here for further information)
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