[Discussioni] Sudafrica, Software Libero e Microsoft
Alceste Scalas
tjoad a gmx.it
Sab 16 Feb 2002 16:25:51 CET
Pessime notizie! :-\
----- Forwarded message from Nate Aune <nate a jazkarta.com> -----
To: FreeDevelopers a topica.com
From: Nate Aune <nate a jazkarta.com>
Subject: FW: Press release: Debate between Open Source and Proprietary
Software becomes
Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2002 09:28:38 +0100
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Organization: Jazkarta.com
I thought you all might be interested in this press release about South
Africa's decision to accept Microsoft's donation of software instead of
utilizing open source software as previously supported.
_____________________________
Nate Aune - nate a jazkarta.com
Jazkarta - The Jazz Musician's Community
http://www.jazkarta.com
(866) 864-4918 - Toll-free voicemail/fax
------ Forwarded Message
> From: Steve Wendel <steve a bridges.org>
> Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2002 18:04:15 +0100
> To: news a bridges.org
> Subject: Press release: Debate between Open Source and Proprietary Software
> becomes real for developing countries
>
>
> DEBATE BETWEEN OPEN SOURCE AND PROPRIETARY SOFTWARE BECOMES REAL FOR
> DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
>
> Two recent announcements in South Africa raise sharp issues that
> characterize the raging debate between open source and Microsoft operating
> systems -- a debate that will ultimately affect developing countries around
> the world. Last Friday President Thabo Mbeki announced in his state-of-the
> nation speech to Parliament that Microsoft will provide free software for
> all of South Africa's 32,000 government schools. Previously, the South
> African Government's National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI)
> declared its strong support for open source software, saying that it "has
> the potential to empower people in ways that proprietary software (such as
> Microsoft's) simply does not allow". For a nation that is counting on
> information and communications technology (ICT) to help address monumental
> social and economic problems, Microsoft's generous offer can make a real
> difference. However, many argue that open source software is more
> appropriate for the technology realities in developing countries. The
> Government -- and public -- should be aware of the implications of adopting
> the proprietary operating system in schools, and plan wisely to gain the
> benefits without suffering the consequences.
>
> The Microsoft donation is an example of a big international company that is
> taking concrete action to tackle the digital divide by giving the kinds of
> things that it is easy for it to give. This gesture by Microsoft sets a
> standard that other companies should strive to meet. The initiative will
> help schools teach pupils about computers and computing. And the more
> skills built among the nation's youth -- and especially technology skills
> -- the better for South Africa as a whole. The hope is that Microsoft's
> move will be a catalyst to draw similar support from other companies, such
> as offers of hardware, networking equipment and training courses. The
> solution to the problems of the digital divide will be founded on effective
> cooperation among the private sector, government and civil society.
>
> Yet, while the Microsoft action is worthy of praise, it should be
> approached with wide open eyes. Offering free software to schools is
> not only good corporate citizenship, it is good for business: if MS
> software dominates South African schools, it will be good for Microsoft's
> bottom line and may limit the adoption of other kinds of software in this
> market. Embracing the Microsoft donation is a smart short-term move in a
> country where free access to up-to-date software like MS Office and Encarta
> will be a boon for many schools that would otherwise need to pay for
> software licenses. However, open source proponents point out that the real
> issue for schools is not software licenses, but the challenges and cost of
> deployment and maintenance of sustainable ICT infrastructure. Microsoft
> products have rapid product cycles and quick obsolescence, along with
> expensive long-term maintenance and support implications. Open source
> software offers a more affordable and stable option, along with
> "thin-client" solutions that can be run on recycled computers. The latest
> Microsoft offerings use far more computer resources than the open source
> alternatives, requiring relatively high-end systems with fast processors,
> lots of memory and hard disk space. Indeed, following the Microsoft
> announcement, the South African Minister of Education stated that only
> 10,000 schools are currently equipped to benefit from Microsoft's offer.
>
> This is not the first time that Microsoft has put forward the idea of
> providing technology support for schools. Late last year, the company
> offered to provide about US$1 billion worth of software, hardware, training
> and support to more than 16,000 of the poorest US schools as part of a
> proposed antitrust settlement. In January, the judge in that case ruled
> against the proposal because he was not convinced that it represented a
> fair conclusion, so the donation never happened. Critics of the deal,
> including Apple Computers and Linux software maker Red Hat, argued that the
> donation would have only served to solidify Microsoft's monopoly in the
> desktop operating system market by extending it to the education
> sector. Many also noted the concern that students coming from a Microsoft
> environment will drive a need for Microsoft systems when they graduate and
> join the labor market -- forcing businesses and government to adopt
> Microsoft products.
>
> The South African Government should take what it can get for free
> (especially end-user tools) and prepare and implement a sound plan for
> optimizing the availability of MS software in its schools. However, it
> would be a mistake to assume that because South Africa will get MS software
> that this will automatically lead to improvements in educational outcomes;
> the Government needs to make certain that teachers and students are
> properly trained and able to benefit from the introduction of technology in
> schools. Microsoft should do its part in this regard by helping schools
> with technical support and software updates. Evan Summers, of the South
> African Linux School Computer Lab Project, calls for "all organizations and
> companies, regardless of the platform they recommend, to participate in a
> constructive discussion and work together to achieve the real goal: to
> deploy computer labs to every school in the country, and exploit that
> infrastructure to further education."
>
> But the real dilemma for the South African Government is that the
> short-term answer -- take the MS software donation and put it to good use
> -- poses problems in the long-term. In the long-term, South Africa needs
> to foster its own software development and capabilities. The Government
> should not be complacent in attempting to foster or facilitate a
> competitive domestic software development environment. The position of
> NACI illustrates many of the points that developing country governments
> need to consider as they drive the adoption of information technology in
> their nations. NACI describes the trade-off between the proprietary and
> open approaches to software as a choice between relying on foreign skills
> and developing local skills. If South Africa chooses the proprietary route,
> in the long-term the cost in many cases will be higher, and much of the
> expenditure goes out of the country. NACI advises that South Africa should
> be developing local open source skills and paving the way to becoming a
> world class software development nation.
>
> The South African Government should focus on open source in its own
> development activities, its purchases, and fostering a local software
> market, while at the same time taking advantage of the free proprietary
> software for its schools. There is no reason why Microsoft and open source
> software cannot and will not coexist, in South Africa and elsewhere. But
> governments and the public may be well-advised to take a broad perspective
> on the issues and leave their options "Open".
>
>
> End
>
>
>
>
> ISSUED BY: bridges.org
> www.bridges.org
>
> DATE: 15 February 2002
>
> CONTACT: Teresa Peters
> +27 21 970 1304
> tmpeters a bridges.org
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Stephen Wendel
> project manager, bridges.org
> Ether: http://www.bridges.org
> Current Mailing Address: PO Box 4163 Durbanville, South Africa 7551
> Tel: +27 21 970 1302 -- Fax +27 21 970 1315
> Mobile: +27 72 288 2315
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>
>
>
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