Open Source

Marek Tuszynski
Tel: 1-31-20-620-1478
E-mail: marek@tacticaltech.org

The use of Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) by the NGO, educational and governmental sector is increasing year on year. It is starting to be viewed as a more viable solution for many developing countries due to its flexibility and cost implications, as a consequence it�s implementation is most progressive outside of North America. This is because:

The GNU-GPL license allows complete transparency of the code, which means that anyone can modify a piece of software to suit their needs.
More and more commercial operations and non-commercial organizations are replacing proprietary systems with Linux because of the cost and security advantages.
OSS provides an accessible, legal software option for non-profit organizations in developing countries.
NGOs in developing countries risk closure when oppressive governments use the presence of unlicensed software as an excuse to persecute organizations they do not like. Encouraging organizations who may be in a threatened position locally to use OSS can quickly thwart this trend.

Why is FLOSS a viable option for the non-profit sector?

Economy It can often be downloaded for free and may be more stable than proprietary software. Whilst set up and customization costs can be high, the indication from many studies is that in the long run it is cheaper to use open source, Because it relieves users of the need to buy from a western monopoly, employing an OSS solution can be very empowering both individually and on a macro scale.
Philosophy (encouragement of open standards and protocols, software freedom) The open source model relies on common standards, a belief in the value of transparency, and the idea that creating software is based on continuous progress and change, rather than centrally-administered control.
Community (model, quick development, well documented / variety of support) If it is built with localization in mind, OSS solutions can often be localized with great ease, even by non-technical users.Moziilla for example is a browser comparable to Netscape or MSExplorer, and has now been translated into more than 180 languages. This can give people a sense of ownership and help build solidarity between developed and developing world, offering an alternative to the current developer-user scenario.
Security (software quality, reliability and stability, improved security)
It is transparent � Because anybody can access the source code, there are no hidden features in OSS. Its inherent transparency is one of the reasons that the European Commission is recommending the use of OSS to EU governments.

In sum, open source software is adaptable to different needs, can be easily localized, is increasingly affordable, can be more stable and therefore in the long run is a more sustainable option for many non-profits.

The Information Program will be supporting a variety of pilot, research and capacity building projects in this area.