[kictanet] SA government to switch to open source

[Judy Okite]

This is so far the GREATEST!! news,this year........Probably as a
government(Kenya) we ought to look at the key components to have lead into
this decision....and maybe try to adapt some and see wether it can as well
work for Us!
Atleast it is an indication that it can happen/be adopted in Africa!!

CONGRATS! TO SA.

Kind Regards,

On 2/23/07, Bill Kagai <billkagai at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> SA government to switch to open source
>
> http://www.tectonic.co.za/view.php?id=1377&s=news
>
> By *Staff Writer* 22 February, 2007
> The South African Cabinet today announced that it had approved a free and
> open source strategy and that government would migrate its current software
> to free and open source software.
>
> At a Cabinet media briefing government said that it had "approved a policy
> and strategy for the implementation of free and open source software (FOSS)
> in government.
>
> In a statement the cabinet said "all new software developed for or by the
> government will be based on open standards and government will itself
> migrate current software to FOSS. This strategy will, among other things,
> lower administration costs and enhance local IT skills."
>
> "All the major IT vendors in the country have both supported the
> initiative and made contributions to the development of FOSS. Government
> departments will incorporate FOSS in their planning henceforth."
>
> Government plans to set up a FOSS project office by April this year. The
> office will be established by the department of ccience and technology, the
> CSIR and the State Information Technology Agency (Sita).
>
> Reuters writes that Themba Maseko told reporters the cabinet would use the
> open source Linux operating system in a bid to lower administration costs
> and enhance local IT skills.
>
> "This is going to be a long process... What this (open source) initiative
> is basically trying to streamline (is) our use and development of software
> in the country," Maseko said.
>
> Maseko said it was too early to provide timeframes for implementing Linux.
>
> South Africa joins governments in other emerging markets like Brazil,
> China, Spain, India and Malaysia in adopting open source software, with
> proponents of Linux arguing that the free software could help slash the cost
> of getting computers into schools, homes and community centres.
>
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-- 
Judy Ann Okite,
+254-721237507,+254-734252336
P.O. BOX 2228 00100,
NAIROBI,KENYA.


"Even if you are on the right track, you'll still get run over if you just
sit there."
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