Open Source Alliance Cyberjaya

BRISBANE, Calif. –(Business Wire)– CollabNet(R), the primary sponsor of the Subversion open source project and leading provider of collaborative software development, today announced that Subversion has, for the first time ever, been recognized as an industry leader in a recent Forrester Research report. Subversion was named sole leader in standalone SCM in the Forrester report, “The Forrester Wave(TM): Software Change and Configuration Management, Q2 2007″ with multiple high scores. Forrester estimates that more than 250,000 users and 2,000 companies have begun using Subversion in the past year alone. Subversion, which was initiated and is still sponsored by CollabNet, continues to gain unprecedented market share against traditional Software Configuration Management (SCM) leaders, with a year-over-year growth rate of 265%.

Read more: TMCnet

Tom Hanrahan brings to Microsoft 30 years of experience in engineering management and open source community development.

Microsoft has hired a leading Linux engineering manager out of the den of one of its fiercest opponents, the San Francisco-based Linux Foundation.Development veteran Tom Hanrahan, former director of engineering for the Open Source Development Labs and current director of engineering for the Linux Foundation, will be the new head of Microsoft’s interoperability lab, one of the offspring of its deal with Novell last November.

The Linux Foundation is the group that was formed from the merger of the Open Source Development Labs and the Free Standards Group. The Linux Foundation has warned Microsoft publicly against attempting to enforce its patents against Linux users, a response to Microsoft’s warnings on the heels of its Novell deal that it believes Linux violates some of its patents.

Hanrahan was previously senior program manager of IBM’s Linux Technology Center in Beaverton, Ore., then joined the Open Source Development Labs in Beaverton at the end of September 2004.

Hanrahan will report to Sam Ramji, head of Platform Technology Strategy and Microsoft’s Open Source Software Lab in Redmond. The lab has overall responsibility for interoperability between Windows environments and customer’s open source code. It certified the operation of the JBoss Application Server and other middleware under Windows before JBoss’ acquisition by Red Hat. Hanrahan will head the Linux interoperability efforts.

Read more: InformationWeek

Kolkata, June 8: Having tried out Microsoft for a few years, the West Bengal government’s information technology department is now opting for open-source operating systems in new purchases of PCs for its ambitious e-governance programme.

The state recently chose to install Lenovo PCs loaded with Red Hat Linux for an e-governance programme involving 277 panchayats in Burdwan district.

The state’s IT minister, Debesh Das, said he is not looking for a confrontation with Microsoft, but is clearing the purchase of open-source by any department that wants it. Dr Das, a professor of computer science, is himself a votary of open-source and the free software movement.

Manish Mukherjee, general manager of the state-owned Webel Technology Ltd, who is in charge of sourcing software for various government departments, said the government will buy less and less proprietary software like Microsoft Windows and Office, which is not only pricey, but needs costly upgrades and do not reveal their source code.

“We are now in the transition stage and when we start developing various applications on open source, we will cut down our expenditure on proprietary software,” said Mukherjee.

Read more: Kolkata Newsline

I recently got through reading the paper by Jyh-An Lee [PDF warning], who is a J.S.D. candidate and a Law and Economics fellow at Stanford, about the policy implications of open source software and thought it sufficiently comprehensive and well written. I consider research on this subject to be timely and appropriate for several reasons, of which the growing relevance of public policy on open source software (OSS) is but one. While open source is an undeniable production [development] and distribution model, it is first and foremost a disruptive force. I’m neither the first nor the most eloquent in stating that open source is far bigger than the software industry and even IT in general. While what is being witnessed within the software industry remains a compelling case for the potential of open source as a bona-fide disruptive force, it should be kept in proper perspective of the general trend towards open paradigms.

Even specifically within the scope of software as assets (open or closed, public or private) it is prudent to recognize its role as disruptive force. By doing so, the need for participation by various spheres within the social/political/business stratum (individuals, groups, public, private, etc.) becomes effectively clear. In this way, the aforementioned research is particularly germane in underscoring the ramifications of government policy on open source software. Below I’ve included analysis of some key topics and positions presented therein.

Read more: Alex Fletcher

Event:
Majlis Perasmian Program Open Source Software (OSS) Sektor Awam, Fasa II – Accelerated Adoption
 
Venue: Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC), Putrajaya
Date: 12 Jun 2007 (Selasa)
 
Agenda:
2.00 ptg: Pendaftaran
 
2.40 ptg: Bacaan Doa
* Ucapan Perasmian oleh Y.Brs Dr. Nor Aliah Mohd Zahri, Timbalan Ketua Pengarah ICT MAMPU
* Perasmian Program OSS Sektor Awam Fasa II – Accelerated Adoption oleh Y.Brs Dr. Nor Aliah Mohd Zahri

3.15 ptg: Lawatan VIP ke Gerai Pameran / Jamuan Ringan

3.45 ptg:
* Persembahan Program OSS Sektor Awam Fasa II – Accelerated Adoption
* Perkongsian Pengalaman OSS – Majlis Bandaraya Melaka Bersejarah
* Alternative to Vista – Novell
* Red Hat Virtualisation: Redefining the Enterprise IT Infrastructure
 
5.30 ptg: Pameran / Jamuan Ringan

Source: Open Source Competency Centre