International Open Source Network <http://www.iosn.net>

I'm studying computer science in Vienna, Austria and currently working on my dissertation focussing on "the Usage of free and open source software in developing countries". The Codebreakers has been a main inspiration for my assignment. - Theresa Meiksner, Austria (26 January 2007)

The [iosn-general] digest is very brilliant - Nelson T. Enojo, Philippines (19 June 2006)

Your site is a great resource - Andrew Schmadeke, Focus/SIS, USA (23 May 2006)

Approaching its 60th birthday, UN has undertaken another very meaningful and important initiative that seeks to continue its original mandate of again assisting those who are in need of help. Through its International Open Source Network (IOSN) initiative via the Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme (APDIP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is again enabling those governments who cannot necessarily create their own ICT ecosystem, by helping to reduce costs. ... UNDP's IOSN efforts through FOSS, open standards and open content represents the best of its mission and legacy. We should all applaud and support this extremely important agenda. - Peter J. Quinn, Former Chief Information Officer, Commonwealth of Massachusetts (extracted from foreword in FOSS: Open Standards e-primer, 2006)

I was extremely happy to see that UNDP has an IOSN website - Moonshi Mohsenruddin, Founder, CommGate Inc. (26 March 2006) 

Our best way to help would be to translate to Spanish the contents of the Interactive Guide to Using the Linux Desktop...We look forward to work with you and help this just and noble cause - Leonardo Ocanto P., Venezuela (24 March 2006)

"...I came across your organization [IOSN]... I thought the goal had merit...I offer my services to your organization to help bring underprivileged people out of poverty." - Devin Bayer (20 March 2006)

The Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI) Books is planning to come out with an edited book on "Localization of Information Technology" ...we find the pages 1-45 from..."Free/Open Source Software: Localization" highly suitable and relevant to the book since it makes a distinct contribution, without which a gap will be felt and logical presentation would suffer. We would be grateful if you permit us to reprint the article in both print (book) and electronic media (CD-ROM) form.  - Roopa Ananth, Research Associate, ICFAI University Press, India (23 February 2006)

Congratulations on your success in the Asia-Pacific region.  Keep up the good work. - John Weathersby, Founder, Open Source Software Institute, USA, and National Center for Open Source Policy and Research, USA (25 January 2006)

I saw from your [FOSS] country report [for Malaysia] <http://www.iosn.net/country/malaysia/country-report> you have done a really good job, compiling all the local OSS projects. The information is very much useful for the [FLOSSWorld] survey. - Ir. Afrezal Tahrin, MIMOS, Malaysia (11 January 2006)

You have a lovely website. It is very nice. - Jason Sjobeck, The Sjobeck Company LLC, United States (29 December 2005)

I believe that if all of the countries in the Asian FOSS network collaborate together through IOSN, we will be able to devise a common approach based upon best practices to chalk out a constructive plan in order to create mass awareness and adoption of FOSS at a much wider scale and rapid speed....Keep it up IOSN! - Fouad Riaz Bajwa, General Secretary, Free and Open Source Software Foundation of Pakistan (3 October 2005)

I would be happy to promote the great work of your organization and raise awareness of your goals. I would also like to request your assistance on behalf of a group of nuns (Sisters of the Cross Orissa, India) who I support - your training materials would be very useful indeed in their work for the Safe Motherhood programme and in teaching local birth attendants. Likewise they too would be very grateful for any support your organization could offer. -  Jacqueline Richards, NAP, United Kingdom (August 2005)

I am in interested in translating the training material into Kannada language and also where possible would like to develop some training content - Shivakumar GN, Siemens (August 2005)

I am a graduate student in the field of International Development (Educational Development) and I have migrated to Linux (Fedora). I found your website a very precious tool for me as an end-user and someone interested in Open Source as a  tool for educational development, capacity building and social inclusion ... This message is, basically, to congratulate your initiative and thank you for the privilege to access the wealth of information which you are offering to the excluded people. - Silvio Marquardt, GSID/Nagoya University, Japan/Brazil (July 2005)

The United Nations Development Programme funded International Open Source Network have published their Free and Open Source Software Localization [e-]Primer. This should further encourage the uptake of FOSS throughout minority-language speaking communities across the globe. - Stuart Yeates, University of Oxford, United Kingdom (June 2005)

I've been reading the Free/Open Source Software: Localization [e-]Primer, as was mentioned on OSDir.com, and am really glad that this was done and also done under a Creative Commons license. The UNDP seems to have a winner here. - Taran Rampersad, Digital Divide Network, Trinidad and Tobago (June 2005)

Member States from the Asia-Pacific region have been at the forefront of the trend towards more use of OSS. They have benefited from the very active IOSN programme run by UNDP-APDIP which, besides fostering awareness raising and information sharing about OSS policies within the region, made a valuable contribution through training and provision of OSS modules. - Joint Inspection Unit, United Nations (June 2005)

Free & Open Source Software Foundation of Pakistan shapes its activities around FOSS technologies and applications according to the vision set forth by the  International Open Source Network - Dr. M. Anwar-ur-Rehman Pasha, Chairman, Governing Body, Free & Open Source Software Foundation of Pakistan, Pakistan (May 2005)

The International Open Source Network of the United Nations actively promotes open source software as a component of developing world ICT infrastructure development. At the end of August, I was working with an east African university when IOSN's 'Software Freedom Day' erupted around me; there were suddenly more open source CDs around than machines on which to run them, and I found myself in great demand for ad hoc talks on the subject. - Felix Grant, Scientific Computing World, United Kingdom (January 2005)

An excellent [FOSS Education e-]primer on open source in the education arena by the International Open Source Network. Plenty of great information and examples, including infrastructure, administration, teaching, open content, research, training, and policy issues. - Saugus Union School District, United States (January 2005)

For those new to FOSS, this is an excellent starting point as it [FOSS Education e-Primer] gives a great overview of the reasons for and methods of using FOSS effectively within various institutions. - Alex Couros, Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina, Canada (January 2005)

I had a look at the page of "Interactive FOSS User Guide" and it is really impressive. It's really good for new linux users. I would like to know if we can join your team to translate the guide into Vietnamese and (freely) distribute it to Vietnamese users?"  - Do Hoang Son, HPT, Vietnam (December 2004)

I would welcome the opportunity to manage an existing (or new) section of the IOSN. I appreciate what the UNDP is trying to achieve here and it appears that there is a momentum developing in SE Asia as indeed there is in Australia to use OSS. - Stuart McIntyre, Principal Lecturer in IT Studies, Adelaide Institute of Technical and Further Education, Australia (November 2004)

...I'm ready to create the same [IOSN] initiative in France based on your model. - Roger Essoh, atosorigin.com, France (October 2004)

I applaud the UN's [IOSN] initiative in backing and promoting Linux – or more generally Open Source - as a way to help development…I would welcome a similar initiative in South America. - John Coppens, Argentina  (September 2004)

I am the president of Linux Australia, and I wanted to congratulate you on this excellent [IOSN] initiative and [web]site. - Pia Smith, Australia  (October 2004)

I read the manual [User Guide to Using the Linux Desktop] and it seems very clear… it focuses strictly on relevant issues related to the daily use. Good Job! - Matteo Paiato, China (September 2004)

Members of the IOSN team have done excellent work in raising awareness and understanding of open source with UN agencies and more broadly within government and civil society in Asia. - Ian Pringle, UNESCO Communication and Information Sector, Asia Pacific Regional Bureau for Communication and Information, New Delhi, India (September 2004)

First of all I like the [e-]primer [FOSS Education] a lot. It addresses a lot of items that are of interest to the people that like to change their ideas, but need the data. - Prof. Dr. Victor van Reijswoud, Uganda Martyrs University, Uganda (September 2004)

We have seen your "Linux End User" manual and we are amazed by your work. We'd like to translate it in Italian and distribute the translated version on our website… - Fabio Rotondo, OS3 - Open Source Software Solutions, Italy (August 2004)