Subject:
Re: redhat trademark (offtopic)
From:
Shuvam Misra ####@####.####
Date:
7 Oct 2003 03:01:09 -0000
Message-Id: <Pine.LNX.4.44.0310061811330.23860-100000@sm.starcomsoftware.com>
<NOTE TO MODERATORS>
This message is off-topic for this list. I'm writing this in response
to someone's message, and I'm posting it to the list hoping that you
_may_ find it of general interest. If you drop the message, I'll
understand, and sorry for the trouble.
</NOTE TO MODERATORS>
> Same problem here in South Africa. Is the Indian government also
> converting to Linux? 80% of our government is planned to switch over. I
> think Linux is brilliant for developing nations like ours.
Oh yes, open source is a Big Thing here. In India, one way you can
assess how big is Big with the Govt is to see how it figures in the real
top-level dry Government publications.
One such publication is the Economic Survey (ES), published by
the Ministry of Finance, Government of India (i.e. not one of the
two-dozen-odd State Governments), and forms a background document to
the Annual National Budget. The ES is read word by word by anybody
seriously interested in the Government's intentions regarding the
country's economy. For the last couple of years, the full ES has
been available (yes! in PDF form!) on the Finance Ministry Website
(www.indiabudget.nic.in). (In case you care to look for it: Each chapter
has been cut into pieces arbitrarily, and each piece is a separate PDF
file. Pick up the fifth piece of Chapter 7 for the section that I'm
referring to.)
The ES 2003, which was released in Feb 2003, had a few pages on the
Electronics and Computer Technology industry, as part of its coverage of
highlights of some key industry sectors. In this, Section 7.47 was the
real eye-opener. It starts with
"Government policies have worked towards fostering growth and
sophistication in this sector in many ways. Some highlights of these
efforts are:"
And then it lists four points, of which point number two is the real
interesting section, and I am re-typing in full:
"A remarkable phenomenon of recent years is the rise of high quality
'free software' which has become available internationally. The use
of free software reduces costs, reduces computer security threats,
puts full control in Indian hands, and fosters the development of
Indian skills in building new technology. As with numerous other
governments in the world, the Government of India is also actively
exploring how free software can be fully utilised in India. Many
government agencies and state governments have commenced exploiting
free software, particularly in the areas of national security,
e-governance, Internet-related applications, research and development,
and utilisation for low-cost computing in schools and colleges. Indian
projects in this area, like the `Simputer' have received international
acclaim."
One key point is that this is in a Finance Ministry publication, not a
Ministry of IT publication. In essence the Finance Ministry is saying
that free software is important for the economy of India.
The impact of this paragraph can only be understood if you look at it
with the fence-sitting mind of the bureaucrat. It gives free software
"legitimacy" in his eyes. Every government-owned organisation, and
so-called "EDP Section" within every level of every ministry in India has
been "unofficially" experimenting with Linux and freely redistributable
software literally for years. But no decision-making bureaucrat wants to
sign off on a purchase decision for lots of expensive hardware unless
he makes a CYA (cover your posterior) decision regarding the software
too. This usually means big-brand American software for the products
(Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, etc) and big-brand Indian firms for the
services. Now, with this pargraph in place, he can trust his instincts
about open source, sanctify his purchase decisions for Linux based
solutions, and demand that bidders supply him with solutions based on
PostGreSQL instead of Oracle. Till now, no decision-making bureaucrat
would have the guts to do this because the Microsoft salesman would always
raise the bogey of "Linux has no support" and the bureaucrat would shudder
at the thought of some future inquiry into the "inappropriateness" of
the purchase decision which favoured "a technology which has no
after-sales support."
The second bogey that this passage breaks is that open source is
insecure software. This too used to be used routinely by Microsoft and
IBM. Now IBM sings the Linux tune (they've been brilliant at hunting with
the hounds and running with the hares), and Microsoft is very hot around
the collar (why do you think Mr.Gates visited India recently?).
Two years ago, I don't remember seeing a single government tender
explicitly specifying that they wanted just a Linux-based solution, though
they wouldn't reject a Linux-based bid. Now, government departments are
announcing tenders for "Linux-based networking solutions", "Linux based
messaging and firewall solutions", and so on. The gates have opened. If
you're Microsoft, Solaris, AIX, whatever, you need not apply.
The Government of India is like a plodding elephant, but usually its
steps, once taken, have wide effect. This step has been taken.
Shuvam
