sorry for the set of fwd's today -iti- sdg -----Forwarded Message-----
> From: Ashish Kotamkar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [Indic-computing-users] Open IT - Govt to rewrite source code in Linux > Date: 09 Oct 2002 12:03:38 +0530 > > Open IT - Govt to rewrite source code in Linux > TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 09, 2002 01:29:29 AM] > http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/articleshow?artid=24598339 > > NEW DELHI: If the Chinese have IT, get it. The Indian government seems to be > taking a leaf out of China's operating system, and is planning a countrywide > drive to promote the open source operating system, Linux, as the 'platform > of choice' instead of 'proprietary' solutions. > > For proprietory, read Microsoft, which controls over 90% of the desktop > software market. > > The Department of Information Technology has already devised a strategy to > introduce Linux and open source software as a de-facto standard in academic > institutions, especially in engineering colleges through course work that > encourages use of such systems. > > Research establishments would be advised to use and develop re-distributable > toolboxes just as Central government departments and state governments would > be asked to use Linux-based offerings. > > DIT is in talks with leading industry players like IBM and HCL to get a feel > of their work in the area and invite proposals for joint projects. "As a > first step we are persuading all government institutions to offer courses on > Linux and programming for Linux environment. We would also set up Linux > Resource Centres in academic institutes (with co-funding from government and > industry)," said a senior government official. > > Though India has made a name for itself selling solutions, software as a > product is expensive within the country. And the cost will bite once India > starts implementing IPR protection in earnest, as it has committed itself > to. > > While redistribution of proprietary software is restricted through a licence > agreement, the licensing terms for Linux grants the right to obtain and > redistribute copies. Many analysts believe that China's growing dominance in > the IT space is fuelled by its low cost open source bias. > > The Chinese government has consistently promoted its local software based on > Linux, both for cost reasons, and reportedly for 'security' concerns as > well. > > The source code for proprietory software is not revealed, and this, it is > believed, has not found favour with the Chinese, especially in defence and > security related applications. > > Microsoft, in what many observers and reports say is an attempt to soften > the Chinese government's stand, recently committed to investing $750m in > China in three years to help set up a software college and put its money > into Chinese education. > > In comparison, Microsoft has announced investments worth only $75m over a > three-year time frame in India. Howver, the Chinese company Redflag > Software, which was set up by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the country's > most prestigious research institute, has often come out with low-cost > software based on Linux, in direct competition to Windows-based software. > > The Indian government's plan, however, is not driven by security concerns, > but by the far more simple arithmetic of costing. To put it simply, India > being a developing country needs low cost solutions. > > Unlike the Microsoft-developed Windows operating system, Linux code is free > and downloadable from the internet. With the addition of special > applications, it can be personalized to meet specific needs. > > An industry-government-user-developer conference on the subject would be > organised to throw up ideas for specific initiatives including funding, > reliable sources told ET. > > The only issue here is support and services, which Indian government sources > feel is not likely to be an issue in a country known for its software > support and service skills. > > Like China, the government is also eyeing the increasingly lucrative global > support and services market for the Linux environment may prove lucrative. > While proprietary support agreements govern only the systems purchased (with > licences), for free software support is independent of the number of copies > owned. > > "With applications in security being a focus area, inputs have been sought > from the Defence on their experience with Linux. Indian-language based > solutions, e-governance, embedded and high performance cluster solutions are > other areas. But firstly we want to concretise the position on IPR issues in > the use of Linux," the source said. > > DIT is planning a three-tier mechanism, with itself as the first, industry, > user groups and state governments as the second and a national apex > committee headed either by a government representative, an industry expert > or an academician to oversee manpower and skill development, applications > development and deployment and public policy support, said sources. > > According to IDC's figures for '00, Microsoft still controlled 94% of the > desktop software market and while Linux is expected to overtake the number > two Apple Mac OS by '03, it would still control less than 4% of the > market. > > In server software, it fares a little better and is expected to control > around 30% of the market by '03, according to IDC. Linux, which has > established itself in the server space, is an open reliable OS that runs on > virtually any platform and was developd by Finnish technologist Linus > Torvalds. > > After developing the initial source code, Linus made it available on the > Internet for use, feedback and further development. > > =============================================== > Warm regards, > Ashish Kotamkar ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) > > > > ------------------------------------------------------- > This sf.net email is sponsored by:ThinkGeek > Welcome to geek heaven. > http://thinkgeek.com/sf > _______________________________________________ > Indic-computing-users mailing list http://indic-computing.sourceforge.net/ > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/indic-computing-users > [Other Indic-Computing mailing lists: -devel, -standards, -announce] -- To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the body "unsubscribe ilug-cal" and an empty subject line. 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