Abstract

How Open Source Bridges the technology gap between wealthy and developing countries   Leibovitch, Evan   

How Open Source Bridges the technology gap between wealthy and developing countries

Abstract

Developing countries are often at a disadvantage in areas of information technology. Forced to rely on imported expertise and expensive software, governments and companies are forced to rely foreign infrastructure. Often illegal use of proprietary software is required just to accomplish basic tasks. The maturing of open source operating systems and applications has allowed for a dramatic change in this situation. Allowing countries of any size to develop their own domestic support and development infrastructure, open source can turn technology importers into technology exporters. Success is determined by innovation and response to user needs rather than the cost of one's tools. This session will explore how open source is closing the technology gap in a number of different ways, and provide some examples of how governments and companies are levelling the IT playing field on a global scale.