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! <br>
Atleast it is an indication that it can happen/be adopted in Africa!!<br>
<br>
CONGRATS! TO SA.<br>
<br>
Kind Regards,<br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 2/23/07, <b class="gmail_sendername">Bill Kagai</b> <<a href="mailto:billkagai@gmail.com">billkagai@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<br>
SA government to switch to open source<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.tectonic.co.za/view.php?id=1377&s=news" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.tectonic.co.za/view.php?id=1377&s=news</a><br><br>
By <b>Staff Writer</b>
<div>22 February, 2007</div>
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. <br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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." <br>
<br>"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."<br>
<br>
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).<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
"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.<br>
<br>
Maseko said it was too early to provide timeframes for implementing Linux.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
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<br>"Even if you are on the right track, you'll still get run over if you just sit there."