The stage is set for the second annual Open Source Software (OSS) Africa Conference at the Indaba Hotel in Fourways, Johannesburg, next week.
The conference will cover a number of topical issues, with a specific focus on the changes and challenges facing the OSS industry in SA, says conference producer Beverley Govender.
"The aim for this year`s conference is to position it as an industry event where IT professionals from different backgrounds can share ideas about future developments in free software applications and networking."
The conference will host 15 experts from the open source community, and has received widespread backing from the open source industry, says Govender. "This is one of the biggest OSS events in southern Africa to date."
Organisations involved in the conference include the State IT Agency, the National Advisory Council on Innovation, OpenOffice.org, the Go Open Source Campaign and the Linux Professionals Association.
Govender says one of the main reasons for holding a second conference was the high level of myth and misunderstanding surrounding open source.
"The rationale for adopting open standards and best practice is that if more companies and individuals insist upon these standards, more products would be made available, and in this way choice will increase and risk is reduced in the implementation of IT products and services.
"Using open source technologies, companies are cutting costs, gaining flexibility and discovering powerful new sources of business value."
The event will be staged between 26 and 27 August. For more information on registration details, contact Marks Koloane on (011) 803-0009 or e-mail info@tci-sa.co.za.
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