[OSGeo Africa] Good news for Open Source in South Africa

[Bart van den Eijnden (OSGIS)]

That is great news indeed! Also for someone who wants to be working in 
SA 5 years from now in the open source GIS business, like me :-)

Best regards,
Bart

Gavin Fleming schreef:
>
> South African Cabinet endorsement of FLOSS policy proposals last week 
> bode well for the OSGeo Africa community.
>
> Cabinet goes for open source software
> Lesley Stones, Business Day 23 Feb 07
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Information Technology Editor
>
> THE cabinet has reconfirmed a commitment to use more free and open 
> source software in government departments to slash its technology 
> running costs and increase the opportunities for local software 
> developers, according to government spokesman Themba Maseko.
>
> Unlike costly brand name packages, open source software is free to use 
> and can be modified to suit the needs of its users. Wednesday’s 
> cabinet meeting revolved all new software developed for government 
> would use open rather then proprietary standards, and that the 
> software now in use would gradually be replaced by open source 
> alternatives. That would eliminate annual licence fees and enhance 
> local development skills, Maseko said.
>
> The repercussions for software companies threaten to be enormous, as 
> government is SA’s largest spender on technology. But a policy of 
> gradually switching to open source has been in place since early 2003, 
> with little noticeable effect so far. Now a new date has been 
> proposed, with a project office to be set up by April to ensure a 
> smooth transition throughout SA.
>
> Gavin Fleming MSc
>
> Senior GISc and Sustainable Development Researcher
>
> Mintek
>
> w: +27-11-709-4668
>
> c: 0845965680
>
> f: 0866164820
>
> xmpp (Jabber, Google Talk, etc.): gavinjfleming at gmail.com 
> <mailto:gavinjfleming at gmail.com>
>
> Skype: phlemingo
>
> postal: P/Bag X3015, Randburg, 2125
>
> physical: 200 Hans Strijdom Drive, Randburg
>
> South Africa
>
> 27.9782E 26.0896S
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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-- 
Bart van den Eijnden
OSGIS, Open Source GIS
bartvde at osgis.nl
http://www.osgis.nl