Dear All, On Thu 13 Feb, Pamela McLean wrote:
> We are exploring possibilities for equipping a community centre, such as > getting computers through World Computer Exchange (WCE). Any advice or > comments would be welcome. > [...] > In the long term we recognise that there are good reasons for using Open > Source, but we have no relevant experience. Obviously if we do get > computers we will need technical support, and as available expertise > favours Microsoft, we are likely to start with Microsoft. We have heard > that there are some problems about using 'normal' versions of Microsoft > in some African countries, and that a special African version has to be > acquired. (This is nothing to do with piracy. It is a completely > different issue.) Can someone shed light, and let me know if it has any > implications for use in Nigeria? As I understand it, the problem relates to the export of software (incl Windows) which contains encryption algorithms. Many areas of the Developing World are covered by UN sanctions or embargoes which prohibit such facilities being given, even as part of charitable aid, because the equipment can later also be used for military, terrorist, drugs- production or espionage purposes. This is referred to as "Dual-use and Related" Goods. In the UK notification of such UN sanctions are available from the DTI at www.dti.gov.uk/export.control the last time I looked. It is not necessarily just countries that are war zones to whom sanctions apply. I have beside me the list of embargoes against Rwanda which came into force in 1994 (Instrument SCR 918). Yet in June'95, after the genocide, the sanctions area and scope was *extended* to include Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda and Congo. I believe there are three likely categories of encryption software which we are used to having in "The West", but which would fall foul of these sanctions: a) Secure Socket Layer (SSL) normally used to transmit credit card info across the internet for e-commerce purchases. There are two levels of SSL, 40-bit and 128-bit encryption. Most UN sanctions cover the export of *both* varients. b) backup software, where a password can be set to prevent the data on your CD (or whatever medium you choose) being reinstalled by someone else. c) wireless LAN cards (802.11b & 802.11g) which are starting to be used in the Developing World with directional aerials to increase the range and provide inter-village links. The first two categories are standard features of MS Windows versions as sold in the West, and would need to be removed before any donated PC's were exported to (or through) a country covered by sanctions. Moreover, it would be prudent to purchase the genuine copies of Windows issued by Microsoft specifically for use in the relevant zones of the world. This avoids the ambiguities of whether the recipients are entitled to use 2nd hand copies of Windows (where the original donor company may have paid only an upgrade fee for the use of a newer Windows version on their new PC's). We should remember that the use of "illegal" copies of software is sometimes used in the 3rd World to blackmail the user into having to return to a particular "dealer" for ongoing sales/service. Whereas a nice crisp M$oft Certificate of Authentication would prevent such threats being made! My comments come from a little personal experience of such matters rather than my being a real expert on this subject. But I offer the comments in good faith in that others might avoid the problems of the (unfounded) threats which my company and our "customers" received when first taking computers into Africa in 1999. For the record, ExpLAN is the company behind the Solo (low energy) computer which Pam mentioned later on in her email. When production commences we will be using Linux or RISC OS rather than M$oft code. Even so we intend supplying the main OS components as ROM's from the UK and we will ensure that no such encryption systems are present on these chips, so as not to leave our 3rd World manufacturing bases open to allegations of supplying equipment that could benefit terrorism etc. HTH -- Paul --------------------------------------------------------------------- __/_ Paul Richardson | / ExpLAN Computers Ltd. +44 (0)1822 613868 |-- RISC OS Computer Sales and Software Development |/___ PO Box 32, Tavistock, Devon PL19 8YU Gt.Britain / [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------ ***GKD is solely supported by EDC, a Non-Profit Organization*** To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: <http://www.edc.org/GLG/gkd/>
