LocalFOSS

Open Source Software can empower Southeast Asian enterprises, says regional conference FOSS@Work

For the conference site, click here.

Over 50 participants from Southeast Asian countries explored the chances for economic and social development through Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) at the "first FOSS@Work International Conference-Workshop for Small-to-Medium Enterprises (SME) in the I.T. Industry”, held at the Heritage Hotel Manila, Philippines from November 12th to 15th, 2006.

The FOSS Bill proposed by Teodoro Casiño, Philippino congressman for the Bayan Muna party, has been listed for its first public hearing as it winds its way through the political process.

Listed for November 15th, the hearing by The Committee on Information and
Communications Technology has invited comment from various stakeholders potentially affected by the bill, including community representatives as well as industry giants MIcrosoft and Oracle.

The bill aims to enshrine preferential treatment for Free and Open Source Software in government. From purchasing through to internal development.

The hearing will be held in Rooms 7 and 8, Mitra Building (Inside the House of Representatives), starting from 9:30am.

Teodoro Casiño, Philippino congressman for the Bayan Muna party, today released the second draft of his "FOSS Act", a bill aimed at entrenching Free and Open Source Software in the operations of the federal government.

Community reaction to the bill has been mixed. While some have lauded Casiño for his vision, others have expressed concerns over the wording of certain sections contained within the text of the bill as well as the insistance on open source software as opposed to open standards.

Section 8 of the bill also presents a problem for some within the community. As it is worded, it appears to give the government complete control over the source of any application it decides to use. This is in direct breach of most of the major Free and Open Source licenses, including the Gnu Public License.

Earlier this month, a staffer for Philippines Congressman Teddy Casiño, a member of the Bayan Muna party, contacted the Manilla based Philippines Linux User Group (PLUG) in an effort to gauge the support for a bill enforcing the use of Open Source Software in government organisations.

While details of the bill are sketchy, it has prompted calls in the local media for a larger focus on Open Source Software and the benefits it can provide both in terms of costs savings and investment in the local ICT Industry.

In an opinion piece for the Manilla Standard Today, Chin Wong called upon the government to do more to encourage the use of Open Source Software.