UN Backs Open Source With New Agency

Excerpts from the article follow:

The United Nations is moving to embrace open source with a new agency.

It's called the International Open Source Network (IOSN), which is an initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with a primary goal to promote Free and Open Source (FOSS) software usage.

The IOSN is principally focused in the Asia-Pacific Region as it began as an initiative of the UN's Asia-Pacific Information Development Programme (APDIP).

"Free/Open Source Software (FOSS) presents itself as an access solution for developing countries," the UN backed agency said on its Web site.

"It represents an opportunity for these countries to adopt affordable software and solutions toward bridging the Digital Divide. It represents an alternative to importing expensive proprietary software and applications."

The IOSN said it sees FOSS providing opportunities for developing nations by saving money that can be used for more critical development priorities and objectives. Essentially what the IOSN does and will be doing is promoting awareness of and education about FOSS....

Open source software advocacy has become something of a cottage industry in Asia/Pacific regions. The Linux consortium Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) recently opened a new office in China....