IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - Fall 2013 - 45

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Government loans and other
schemes for the purchase of
desktop computers or laptops
must require the beneficiaries
to buy the desktop computers
or laptops with OS software
installed; for example, Linux
instead of Windows.

Proposed Policies for Companies
The following policies are proposed to help encourage companies
in developing countries to address
the challenges and hence harness
the benefits of OS software:
■ Provide training to create awareness of OS software and its benefits among policy makers, the
government, and companies.
for example, training can be
given on PSPP as an alternative
to SPSS, and ProgeCAD and
DoubleCAD as alternatives to
AutoCAD. The successful use
of OS software technologies
for sustainable development in
Africa [2] and other success stories can be used to demonstrate
the effectiveness of OS software.
This initiative will help change
the mind-set and also fight software piracy. In the 2011 Mauritius survey, 83% responded
positively to the adoption of OS
software while 17% said they
do not see an adoption to OS
software at their company in
the near future due reluctance
to change among management.
This result is reflected in fig. 7.
■ Sponsor training on OS software, such as Linux Certified
Professional (LCP) certification,
for employees. Build a dynamic
team to promote OS software,
provide technical support within
the company, and provide the
ability to tailor company software. The government may also
fund projects undertaken by
start-ups that involve OS software or by companies willing to
move from proprietary software
to OS software.
■ All government institutions
[5] should adopt OS software

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unless the proprietary counterpart is significantly superior.
New software must be based
on open standards adherent
to OS software principles and
licensed under OS software
licenses where possible. Open
standards enable OS software
to achieve interoperability
with proprietary software. In a
situation where OS software is
not to be used, proper justification must be provided.
Ensure that government content [5] and content developed
using government resources
is made open content, unless
proprietary licensing or confidentiality is substantially
beneficial.
Like in Singapore, temporary
tax breaks [6] can be offered to
companies, in both the public
and private sector, which use
OS software instead of proprietary software.
Organize competitions that
involve OS software, accompanied by a strong marketing
campaign. for example, create a competition to reward the
company that comes up with
the best business model based
on OS software. This will
drive other companies to adopt
OS software.

Proposed Policies Regarding
Developers
The following policies are proposed
to help encourage developers in
developing countries embrace the
opportunities OS software offers:
■ Provide the necessary infrastructure [2], namely connectivity, for developers to
communicate and collaborate
locally or internationally and
contribute to the OS community. This may require increasing bandwidth and cutting the
cost of Internet connection.
■ Organize local competitions
that involve OS software,
accompanied by a strong marketing campaign, to award the

IEEE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY MAGAZINE

fALL 2013

Will
Not Adopt
17%

Will Adopt
83%

Fig. 7. Percentage of users willing
to adopt OS software after having
attended the seminar on OS
software.

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best OS software and hence
promote the use of OS software.
Have government keep a database of experts or support providers in different fields of OS
software. Requirements like
LCP and other equivalent certifications may be imposed for
someone to be an expert. The
list of experts would be published so that individuals and
companies will know where
to get help. It was noted in the
2011 Mauritius survey results
that most Windows users get
help for technical problems
they encounter from online
forums, as illustrated in fig. 8,
suggesting seeking technical
help regarding OS software

Both Online
Forums and
Solution Solution Providers
10%
Providers
Others
5%
2%

Online Forums
83%

Fig. 8. How Windows users get
support for technical problems.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - Fall 2013