[OSGeo Africa] Usage of Open Source Software in South Africa

[Gerhardus Geldenhuis]

Its probably also worth noting that the big map websites like google maps,
openstreetmap, mapbox and others all run on opensource software with open
and scalable architectures. You just can't run the same sort of
infrastructure using anything that ArcGIS has available. Even ArcGIS uses
quite a lot of opensource libraries in the background and if you were to
dig a little bit you would find mentioning there off. The irony is that you
are probably already using it in some fashion even though you are paying
for the software.

I design and build large scale infrastructure (non GIS ) for the UK
government and there is a very strong mandate to only use opensource
software. Feel free to contact my privately should you want to talk in more
detail about changing attitudes and adoption of opensource software.

Regards

On 29 February 2016 at 20:40, Vince Egan <vince.egan at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Matlala,
>
> I'm also a civil servant in Limpopo. I have been using Open Source
> software in the workplace for the last 8 years or so. Our desktop GIS
> environment has switched largely to QGIS and we are about to embark on a
> PostgreSQL/PostGIS implementation to feed data into an online website and
> make the data available to QGIS users in our department. There is a lot of
> resistance to open source adoption - mainly due to fear of the unknown. GIS
> has been easier because folks are often adopting totally new concepts in
> the first place. Migrating people from software that they already now (e.g.
> MS Office) to the unknown (e.g. LibreOffice) is quite an uphill battle...
>
> All the best.
>
> Regards,
> Vince
>
>
> On 29/02/2016 09:27, Matlala Boshomane wrote:
>
> Greetings,
>>
>
> I am a public servant in Limpopo Province and wishes to find out about the
> usage of Open source both in Government and Private sector. I want to find
> out if there are any departments using open source, the advantages and
> disadvantages for that. Is there any report that talks about the usage of
> such (from Government) or readiness?
>
> From private companies, who are using open source?
>
> It is also my wish to see what is possible and what is not with the use of
> OS.
>
> Thanking you in advance,
>
> --
> *Matlala Boshomane*
>
> *PO Box 1258*
> *Polokwane*
> *0700*
>
> *Tel  : 082 833 9103*
> *Fax : 086 548 7031*
>
>
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-- 
Gerhardus Geldenhuis
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