Forwarding as below a posting from another list on open standards policy
for gov operations in Hungary.
On another note, I learnt from some reliable sources that the Indian
gov's open standards for egov policy is being reframed and will be
finalized soon. This is now being done at the level of government
officials and not at the level of the concerned experts committee.
Anyone has more knowledge of where we are on this?
I learnt that the new view was that the earlier draft weaved issues of
principles with those of practice and it was considered wise that these
two aspects of the draft policy be separated, which is what is being
attempted now. I have no idea what it means vis a vis our advocacy for
non-dilution of open standards principles.
Parminder
=
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [PubSoft] 10 points on the mandatory use of open standards in
Hungary
Date: Sun, 27 Dec 2009 13:45:28 -0800 (PST)
From: S. Kritikos <[email protected]>
Reply-To: Public Software Mailing List <[email protected]>
To: PubSoft Mailing List <[email protected]>
Folks, on this list we have supported free software, and open standards
from the beginning. I think that our Hungarian friends will
consider demanding free software also especially when matters of
security are involved. --sk
10 points on the mandatory use of open standards in Hungary
The Open Standards Alliance, December 17th, 2009
http://nyissz.hu/blog/10-points-on-the-mandatory-use-of-open-standards-in-hungary/
Hungarian Parliament has made the use of open standards mandatory by
law in the intercommunication between public administration offices,
public utility companies, citizens and voluntarily joining private
companies, conducted via the central governmental system.
This week the Hungarian Parliament amended Act LX of 2009 on
electronic public services. Below is a summary in 10 points of the
amendment that makes the use of open standards mandatory.
Definitions:
Central system: the 'nervous system' of information and
communication, operated by a company appointed by the Government.
Central system users: entities using the central system on a
statutory or voluntary basis, including public administration
offices, public utility companies, other companies and individuals
and the IT systems thereof.
Portals: The central system can be accessed via portals
(interfaces).
1. The good properties of portals (interfaces), listed below, will
hereafter be set out by law.
What are the benefits?
However well the properties of the portals are defined, unless they
are guaranteed by law, they will fail to deliver results in the long
run.
2. The portals are standard, like wall sockets
What are the benefits?
Any device using a standard plug can be connected to the electric
power supply by means of a wall socket. Connecting a television set or
a refrigerator to the mains does not require the expertise of an
electrician. And if the refrigerator is unplugged and a television
plugged in instead, the television will work, too.
Similarly, the two types of portal set out by Hungarian legislation
(the administrative portal and the client portal serving individual
users) will function as statutory standard 'sockets' in
intercommunication between computers.
3. 'Information sockets' can be used to connect computers
What are the benefits?
We no longer need to download information concerning us 'manually' one
by one through the information 'sockets'; instead, we can use software
to do it for us automatically. Through the sockets the central system
can operate seamlessly with the other IT and communication systems.
Consequently, we do not necessarily have to use the interface of the
central system; we can access information concerning us with the help
of user-friendly applications.
4. The standards governing connection to the sockets are public
Anybody can set up an information socket: the specifications of the
portals of the central system are public, anybody can access them free
of charge.
What are the benefits?
What this means is that they do not have to be connected to the
central system, but rather, anybody can set up standard sockets
enabling others to connect to their system.
By means of the sockets, not only can the central system operate
seamlessly with the other IT and communication systems, but also these
systems with each other.
Also, it supports the development of connections vertical (between the
central system and other systems) and horizontal (other systems among
each other). This dilutes the centralized role of the central system.
Nevertheless, there is much yet to be done to have the specifications
of sockets established in the future more by means of a public process
rather than exclusively by the government.
5. Public-benefit and royalty-free sockets
The sockets can not only be known publicly, but also used royalty-free
and without any other restriction. Nobody can charge fees for the use
of the socket standards.
Accordingly, by means of the sockets, IT and communication systems can
operate together seamlessly - technically and financially.
What are the benefits?
It is public knowledge that setting up standards and subjecting their
use to the fulfillment of conditions is a big earner.
This would be an opportunity the company appointed by the Government
to operate the central system could theoretically take by persuading
the Government to charge fees for the use of the sockets.
However, this opportunity has been excluded by the amendment.
6. The sockets are free of charge
The law explicitly states that no fees may be charged for the use of
the sockets (that is, the system interfaces of the administrative and
client portals).
What are the benefits?
It creates an unambiguous situation.
7. Sockets are competition-neutral and consequently allow for real
interoperability
Sockets can be used regardless of whether the IT systems of
interconnecting organizations and individuals use open-source software
(that is, one whose code is publicly knowable and usable) or
closed-source software (that is, one whose code remains private
property).
Provided they use these sockets, the IT systems of connecting
organizations and individual users will be able to communicate not
only with the central system, but - regardless of the operation system
they use - with each other, making them inter-operable.
This contributes to real competition between open source and closed
source software.
8. The open-standard socket has been included in Hungarian
legislation.
The open-standard 'socket', as described above has been defined and
included in Hungarian legislation under the term of 'portal complying
with the requirements of benefiting the public'.
What are the benefits?
It can be quoted in other contexts (e.g. in other legislation).
9. Already it can be used to enhance, for example, the data protection
and privacy of citizens
Using the central system does not necessarily require the use of the
interface of the central system: provided data protection requirements
(applicable to all entities involved) are met, anybody can create
user-friendly applications to enhance the flow of information between
citizens and the central system.
What are the benefits?
For example, applications can be created to help the citizens, free of
charge and in a user-friendly way, in finding out all the information
and documents concerning them, held by public administration offices -
as well as by public utility companies and, in general, the central
system and all of its users.
10. It can be the basis for further co-operation
The Open Standards Alliance (http://nyissz.hu) initiating the
amendment aims to promote the spread of monopoly-free markets that
foster the development of interchangeable and inter-operable products
generated by open standards, and, consequently, broad competition
markets.
To that end, the Alliance will co-operate with the government,
provided their aims coincide. In the near future, it wishes to render
more transparent the process of granting benefits and allowances to
citizens through the existing 93 channels - for the benefit of
taxpayers, beneficiaries and the government. The first step in that
direction was the open-standard amendment outlined above. In an effort
to keep heading in the right direction, the Alliance will initiate
collaboration between representatives of local governments, public
utility companies, consumer protection bodies and the government. in
spite of EU tendencies the Alliance seeks to make its approach -
interoperability based on publicly defined open standards - the EU
norm under the Hungarian presidency of the European Union in 2011. To
that end, it will promote public collaboration - possibly between
every interested party, civil and political organization in the
European Union.
_______________________________________________
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http://elists.isoc.org/mailman/listinfo/pubsoft
--
If you want to know what is going on in Cambodia, please visit
The Mirror, a regular review of the Cambodian language press in English.
This is the latest weekly editorial of the Mirror:
When Is It Possible to Trust, or Not to Trust the Law?
Sunday, 20.12.2009
http://wp.me/p2Gyf-1cc
(to read it, click on the line above.)
And here is something new every day:
http://cambodiamirror.wordpress.com
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