OSS and Governments

ES: Open Source eGovernment study

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:00:00 +0200

Spain has launched a National Open Source Software Observatory. Its first report, just out, is on Open Source use in public administrations. Among the report?s main recommendations was that staff training on the technical, legal, economic and sociological aspects of Open Source greatly improves the chances of a successful migration. Regular ?technical days? on specific software items can be a particularly effective form of training.

ODF made national standard in Sweden

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:00:00 +0200

The Swedish Standards Institute (SIS) approved the Open Document Format (ODF) as a national standard, the ODF Alliance reported this week. Sweden now joins Brazil, Croatia, Italy, South Korea, and South Africa as countries whose national Swedish Flagstandards bodies have formal approved this standard.

OSOR launch, Open Source World Conference in Malaga, Spain

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:00:00 +0200

The OSOR website will be launched in Malaga, at the Open Source World Conference. Xavier Heymans has been invited to present the PloneGov innitiative. PloneGov is a collaborative software ecosystem, where government organizations, non-profits and the private sector work together to share the cost of enhanced capabilities. The European Commission Directorate General for Informatics (IDABC) organises its Open Source Software Event 2008 on 20 October in M�laga, in the Spanish Region of Andaluc�a. It is organised with the regions of Andaluc�a and Extremadura in parallel with the Open Source World Conference.

Canadian open source community upset over proposed copyright law

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 02:00:00 +0200

The Government of Canada has angered those who believe that a proposed copyright law threatens the country's open source business model. Russell McOrmond, a member of the Canadian Software Innovation Alliance (CSIA), says that Bill C-61, the proposed copyright legislation unveiled by the government last month, ignores just about every recommendation made by CSIA, a coalition of open source businesses and supporters, in a white paper.

National Assembly will make history by passing FoI bill

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 02:00:00 +0200

The National Assembly of Nigeria has passed the Freedom of Information(FOI) bill. FOI laws are part of the evolving new international jurisprudence that view as a ?fundamental human right, crucial in its own right and as a ?cornerstone of democracy and good governance?.

XML in govt workshop scheduled

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 02:00:00 +0200

The State IT Agency will host a free workshop to discuss XML standards in government, from 17 to 20 June, at the Tshwane University of Technology.

FOSSFA urges African nations to abstain in OOXML ballot

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 01:00:00 +0100

The Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA) has called on African governments and standards bodies to abstain in the balloting, due to close Saturday, on whether a file format based on Microsoft's Office Open XML (OOXML) should be an international standard. FOSSFA encouraged African governments to facilitate the debate on open standards and involve national experts in decisions regarding technology standards. The organization also urged African governments to seek a collective African voice prior to taking positions on open standards issues.