The momentum behind the local open source software movement has been given a major boost following the high-profile launch of a dedicated Open Source Centre (OSC) at the Mogalakwena HP i-community sustainable development project in Limpopo last week.
The centre - operated under the auspices of the CSIR - has the potential to impact social, economic and technological development at schools, businesses and government departments in Limpopo significantly. It is being supported actively by The Shuttleworth Foundation.
"The message running across all our activities is that when it comes to information and communications technology (ICT), people need choice," explained Adi Attar, the OpenSpeak focus area leader at the OSC.
"By providing access to open source software, we`re creating new paths of education, new opportunities for business development and new avenues for people to invent their own solutions.
"Through our local point of presence here in Mogalakwena, we can demonstrate how open source software can be used in rural and community environments - rather than just talking about it. We can show how it gives people new skills and stimulates small, medium and micro enterprise development. And we can spread the open source message to thousands of people who would`ve been unlikely to hear it before."
Unlike proprietary software, open source software is created by a community of programmers from around the world who make their software, or `source code`, available for other users to examine and modify to meet their needs. These users can then copy and redistribute the new versions legally, all at no cost - hence the moniker `open source`. The result is the creation of thousands of high-quality software programmes that can lower costs, provide greater reliability and security, and be adapted quickly to local needs.
"The HP i-community was established to develop breakthrough models of sustainable social and economic development through the use of ICT," said Clive Smith, project director of the Mogalakwena HP i-community. "Open source software is a key tool in the project. It allows us to serve our community better by, for example, creating Sepedi and Afrikaans versions of the applications we use. It also allows much lower price-points for computing and Internet access." With this in mind, the launch attracted a strong public and private sector contingent - including ministry of science and technology; Sello Moloto, the premier of Limpopo Province; South African entrepreneur and cosmonaut, Mark Shuttleworth; Maureen Conway, the vice-president of Emerging Market Solutions at HP; and the OSC team.
The non-profit Shuttleworth Foundation was also upbeat about the news; the organisation is involved as a partner with HP and the CSIR in the recent launch of the Go Open Source awareness campaign.
The relatively low cost of development, the flexibility that it provides, the vast network of global programming resources, and the ability to copy and distribute are just some of the plus points of open source - according to Thomas Black, the foundation`s open source programme manager.
"One of the challenges of social, economic and technology development in rural areas is cost. And the cost of most proprietary software prevents many people from having access to computing and the Internet. Open Source software offers a very wide variety of applications and is freely available to anyone to use. This opens it up to people in rural and urban areas alike," he said.
"The most important aspect of HP and the OSC`s activities here, though, is that open source is being moved firmly out of the hype stage and into reality - and in a rural environment to boot. Also, the software has the clear and public support of commercial and government-related organisations."
In terms of the HP i-community`s activities around open source, Smith confirmed that education and training - including ISETT SETA certifications and the open source international computer driver`s licence (ICDL) qualification - would continue to be run for members of the community. It is the first time that the open source ICDL training is being offered anywhere in the world.
"We`ll be working with the team at the OSC and meeting with local and provincial education, business and government representatives to evaluate the benefit and suitability of open source solutions for their needs. The intention is for the HP i-community to become a hub for education, advocacy, skills transfer and compatibility testing in the open source space," Smith added.
For more information on the HP i-community, visit www.hpicommunity.org.za. The OSC can be found at www.meraka.org.za. The Shuttleworth Foundation`s Go Open Source site is at www.go-opensource.org.za.
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