This is a great victory for Open Source and in particular for Free = Software. The difference between the two is a relatively less important matter, although it should eventually be taken up. We should be happy that = India can now save billions of rupees (and even dollars).
-----Original Message----- From: M.Balakrishna Pillai To: [email protected] Sent: 10/9/02 6:32 PM Subject: [Mailinglist] Platform of choice Hi listers Here is the full text of the news appeared in The Econimic Times dt.09-102002 (Report by Sudha Nagaraj, New Delhi, Oct 8} quote" Linux turns govt's new 'platform of choice'. THE GOVERNMENT is planning a country wide drive to promote the open source=20 operating system, Linux as the 'platform of choice' vis-=E0-vis proprietary=20 solutions. Following global trends, Linux is likely to be introduced = in education, government and research institutes--with corporate and business=20 use likely to develop alongside. The Department of Information Technology (DIT) is in talk with leading=20 industry players like IBM abd HCL to get a feel of their work in the area and=20 invite proposals for joint projects. Put simply, India being a developing country needs low cost solutions. =20 Though India has made a name for itself selling solutions, software as = a product is costly within the country. And the cost will bite once = India starts implementing IPR protection in earnest, as it has committed itself to. =20 While redistribution of proprietary software is restricted through a licence=20 agreement, the licensing terms for Linux grants the right to obtain and = redistribute copies. The only issue is `support and services' which is = verymuch India's forte -- entering the Linux environment may prove lucrative. =20 Here too for the consumer, while proprietory support agreements govern only=20 the system purchased (with licences), for free software support is=20 independent of the number of copies owned. Having looked into all these advantages, the DIT has already devised a=20 strategy to introduce Linux and open source softwares as a de facto standard=20 in academic institutions especially in engineering collages through course=20 work that encourages use of such systems. Research establishments = would be=20 advised to use and develop redistributable toolboxesjust as central=20 government departments and state governments would be asked to use = Linux based offerings. An industry-government-user-developer conference on the subject would be=20 organised to throw up ideas for specefic initiatives including funding, = reliable sources told ET. As for government the DIT would take the lead. =20 "As a first stem we are persuading all DIT institutions to offer = courses on=20 Linux and programming for Linux environment. We would also setup Linux = resource centres in academic institutes. A three-tier mechanism is = also proposed to oversee deployment"sources said." unquote I feel the press and the public in general are not aware os the difference=20 between GPL and open source. It sould be rectified. Please suggest HOWTOs. With regards, M.Balakrishna Pillai _______________________________________________ Mailinglist mailing list [email protected] http://iwpdns.iwpcp.com/mailman/listinfo/mailinglist_ilug-cochin.org
