The eThekwini municipality`s decision to replace proprietary software with open source software (OSS) for its Web site has brought numerous benefits, according to eThekwini Webmaster Angela Spencer.
"We have been able to spend some development money locally," she says, adding that one of the consortium members awarded the R3.5 million tender is Durban-based AdaptIT, a small black empowerment company.
The municipality replaced Microsoft software with the Zope Application Server and the Plone content management system in two phases - in May 2003 and May 2004.
"The fact that it can be shared is the major advantage of converting to OSS; if other smaller-sized municipalities want to do the same, then we can give them the source code and they can implement it using local developers."
The technical development of the portal was done by Cape Town-based Jam Warehouse, in collaboration with Bytes Systems Integration and AdaptIT.
Spencer cautions that the transition has not been entirely without problems. "You have to build it up from scratch; it`s meant there has been more development work for us."
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