International Open Source Network - Phase II: International Development Research Centre

Open source is a method and philosophy for software licensing and distribution designed to encourage the use and improvement of software written by volunteers by ensuring that anyone can copy and modify it freely. In recent years, open source has grown to become a movement that encourages free and open access to information and the development of creativity through collaboration, openness and transparency. The problem is that most governments and institutions in Asia use proprietary or closed platforms and processes. This leads to expensive licensing schemes that poor governments can ill afford. It also ensures that citizens have difficulty accessing online information.

The Project: How does this initiative address the development problem?

The International Open Source Network (IOSN) serves as a centre of excellence and clearinghouse for information on free and open source software (FOSS) in the Asia-Pacific region. IOSN seeks to raise awareness of the benefits of FOSS, facilitate networking between people working on FOSS issues, build the capacities of FOSS developers and conduct research and development (R&D) into FOSS applications. This phase will further strengthen the network of open source researchers and practitioners, and allow them to conduct further research into various knowledge gaps with respect to FOSS in the Asia Pacific. The first phase of the project was also supported by PAN-IDRC.

Objectives:

To conduct research on various aspects of free/open source software in order to address gaps in knowledge and further strengthen the network of FOSS researchers and practitioners in the Asia-Pacific region:

To establish three sub-regional IOSN research networks, in South Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific Islands, as part of the final stage of the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) model under which IOSN was conceived;
To establish research competencies in the areas of Open Source Software (also Free Software), Open Content (also Open Access and Free Culture) and Open Standards in the Asia-Pacific region; and
To accelerate the adoption of Free/Open Source Software by governments and those agencies that uses public funding as well as Civil Society Organizations.

Development Impact

For information on the impact of Phase I of this project, please visit its webpage. As this phase has just recently started, its development impact cannot be assessed at this time.

Outputs