Goal

Developing countries in the Asia-Pacific Region can achieve rapid and sustained economic and social development by using affordable yet effective Open Source ICT solutions for bridging the digital divide.

Overall Objectives

The overall objective of the project is to create an International Open Source Network (IOSN), which will serve as a Center of Excellence and Clearinghouse for information on Open Source. The Network will shape its activities around Open Source solutions, tools, technologies, and applications. It will help to strengthen current OS capacities; assist with the development of needed toolkits and resource materials, as well as “localization” efforts; and generally assist in co-ordination of OS programs and initiatives through networking.

IOSN will be a reference point and resource base for the Open Source community, programmers, governments, NGOs and institutions for networking and information exchange in open source solutions, especially as regards to R&D and dissemination of localization packages. It will have its own resources in assisting countries and communities adopt and localize affordable software solutions. The Network will conduct R&D on other aspects of Open Source as well. The Center will also assist governments and policy makers formulate policy based on best practice and research.

IOSN will coordinate training sessions for Linux OS and applications. Training sessions will be organised in conjunction with partners already active in this field. For example, the Malaysian National Computer Confederation (MNCC) and the Consortium of Malaysian Universities are currently providing training and certification. IOSN will base its work primarily on Linux Operating Systems, but it will not be limited to one operating system. Going further, IOSN may enter into agreements with partners to provide technical support for governments and educational institutions in Asia-Pacific.

IOSN will actively address Open Source licensing issues. Licensing pertaining to Open Source software can get complex, especially when applications are used in tandem with proprietary software. Here, IOSN will aid programmers, governments and institutions to clarify the issues through awareness programs. IOSN will be active in writing “Primers” or short FAQs on particular aspects of Open Source targeted for the Open Source community in Asia-Pacific. These “Primers” will aid technicians and other programmers seeking solutions to many of the technical problems on localization and other technical issues.

In this regard, IOSN will develop awareness programs; coordinate expertise, technical support, etc toward the better use of resources in Asia-Pacific. It will establish a commons for the sharing of intellectual property where programmers will be able to put their ideas and work in this commons - if they choose to do so - and according to the level of rights they seek to retain. IOSN will be open to forms of “Open Source” licensing regimes, i.e. General Public License (GPL), BSD etc. IOSN will also be open to other forms of Open Source such as GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) and Open Content.