it@foss – Promoting Free and Open Source Software in Southeast Asia
it@foss supports the development and application of local innovative software solutions and business models based on Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in the ASEAN region.
The it@foss website provides comprehensive information on the it@foss activities and latest news by the network. Below follows a summary of it@inwent's involvement.
Activities and Target Groups
it@foss promotes FOSS in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam at four levels:
- Awareness + Knowledge: We aim to enable software developers, decision makers and companies to make sound assessments on the benefits and risks of FOSS solutions and to stimulate their sharing of experiences.
- Development + Cooperation: We contribute to building an active FOSS developer community that collaborates on locally adapted software products, receiving support and ideas through regional and international networks.
- Business Models: We facilitate cooperation between European and Asian companies, to inspire and strengthen the development of viable and sustainable FOSS-based business solutions.
- Education + Dissemination: We empower multiplying organizations to cooperate and to competently train others on FOSS applications and opportunities in order to increase users' familiarity with FOSS.
Our activities include the organization of regional and international conferences to foster networking, national and regional workshops and trainings to develop capacities, and facilitation of partnerships to promote awareness and cooperation.
it@foss started in 2005 with the organization of the international COSGov conference in Vietnam, bringing together about 300 Vietnamese IT experts, government representatives, and entrepreneurs with the European FOSS community around the issue of FOSS for eGovernance. In Cambodia, it@foss together with local partners has conducted FOSS localization trainings in the Khmer language for developers and multipliers since 2004.
ICT solutions based on Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) are of increasing interest to Southeast Asian countries for advancing their development in administration, education, health, or business promotion. The free availability of the source code and the liberal licensing of FOSS allows users to study, change, and improve the software. Therefore, FOSS enables developers to build on existing software solutions, to adapt software to local needs, and to legally realize cost-efficient local IT systems.
While in several regions of the world, vibrant communities of FOSS developers continually enhance and increase the available software pool, many Southeast Asian IT experts lack FOSS knowledge and are not well networked, neither among each other nor internationally. In local government and educational institutions, knowledge about FOSS opportunities is not widespread among decision makers, and many entrepreneurs are not aware of how to use FOSS for business purposes.
In this context, the objective of it@foss is to raise awareness, build and enhance capacities, and stimulate networking on FOSS issues at different levels for key stakeholders. Only together, can the key actors effectively realize local innovative ICT solutions for development.
Fostering capacities and networking around FOSS is in line with the overall mission of InWEnt – Capacity Building International, which is to strengthen local human capacities so that people are empowered to develop their own solutions for social and economic development.
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New Capacity Building Project in Africa: ict@innovation
Call for experts for Idlelo 3 [it@inwent]
Joint call of FOSSFA and InWEnt:
Call for resource persons/experts on FOSS Business Models and Capacity Building at the Idlelo 3 conference (Dakar, Senegal) in March 2008
Application already closed!
News
Wanted: Future Trainers from Western Africa on “Free & Open Source Business Models" [it@inwent]
• Are you interested in building a successful business in Free/Open Source Software (FOSS), and in helping others to do the same?
• Do you have a solid background in business and FOSS?
• Do you have experience in training others, and/or are you part of a training institution?
-> Then respond by September 18 to become part of an exciting training programme on building businesses with Free&Open Source Software.
GIZ showcases ICT innovations at elearning Africa conference [OpenIT@giz]
“Quality, open innovation and the GC21 E-Academy” – these themes have been at the core of GIZ’s engagement at eLearning Africa, the continents largest conference on ICT for development, education and training. The ‘Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)’ reached out to the more than 1700 participants from all over the world gathering in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from May 25 to 27.
Call for Case Studies on Intellectual Property and Open Development in Africa [it@inwent]
The Open AIR research and training project on the role of intellectual property in open development is inviting preliminary proposals for research case studies in the area of intellectual property, open innovation and collaborative creativity in Africa in cooperation with the initiative “commons@ip - Harnessing the knowledge commons for open innovation” of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Africa and Europe join forces in Training on Free Technology [it@inwent]
More networking of African IT specialists with Europe and joint building of advanced training materials – this is what a new partnership of FOSSFA's and GIZ’s ict@innovation programme with the Europe-wide ‘Free Technology Academy’ (FTA) is all about. The Free Technology Academy (FTA), financially supported by the Life Long Learning programme (LLP) of the European Commission, is a collaboration between the Netherlands-based Free Knowledge Institute and three European universities.
Wanted: Future trainers on “FOSS Certification” (LPI certified Linux Administration) in East and Southern Africa! [it@inwent]
CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS
First Regional Training of Trainers for Linux Professional Institute Certification (LPIC) Level 1 for East Africa (Code: LToT1)
Second Regional training of Trainers for Linux Professional Institute Certification (LPIC) Level 1 for Southern Africa (Code: LToT2)
DEADLINE OF APPLICATION:
22nd September 2010 for Eastern African participants
15th November 2010 for Southern African participants
News
GIZ showcases ICT innovations at elearning Africa conference [OpenIT@giz]
“Quality, open innovation and the GC21 E-Academy” – these themes have been at the core of GIZ’s engagement at eLearning Africa, the continents largest conference on ICT for development, education and training. The ‘Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)’ reached out to the more than 1700 participants from all over the world gathering in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from May 25 to 27.
Call for Case Studies on Intellectual Property and Open Development in Africa [it@inwent]
The Open AIR research and training project on the role of intellectual property in open development is inviting preliminary proposals for research case studies in the area of intellectual property, open innovation and collaborative creativity in Africa in cooperation with the initiative “commons@ip - Harnessing the knowledge commons for open innovation” of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Africa and Europe join forces in Training on Free Technology [it@inwent]
More networking of African IT specialists with Europe and joint building of advanced training materials – this is what a new partnership of FOSSFA's and GIZ’s ict@innovation programme with the Europe-wide ‘Free Technology Academy’ (FTA) is all about. The Free Technology Academy (FTA), financially supported by the Life Long Learning programme (LLP) of the European Commission, is a collaboration between the Netherlands-based Free Knowledge Institute and three European universities.
Wanted: Future trainers on “FOSS Certification” (LPI certified Linux Administration) in East and Southern Africa! [it@inwent]
CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS
First Regional Training of Trainers for Linux Professional Institute Certification (LPIC) Level 1 for East Africa (Code: LToT1)
Second Regional training of Trainers for Linux Professional Institute Certification (LPIC) Level 1 for Southern Africa (Code: LToT2)
DEADLINE OF APPLICATION:
22nd September 2010 for Eastern African participants
15th November 2010 for Southern African participants
Press Release: ict@innovation Training Handbook released: "Free your IT-Business in Africa!" [it@inwent]
"How can I build a sustainable business around Free and Open Source Software in Africa?"
- In order to answer this frequently asked question by young African IT-business owners, InWEnt and FOSSFA are pleased to present "ict@innovation: Free your IT-Business in Africa!” - a set of advanced training materials on African Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) Business Models for IT-enterprises.
Events
Linux Professionals Institute Certification (LPI 101 and LPI 102) [it@inwent]
2007/06/27 -
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UP Diliman
The International Open Source Network (IOSN) together with the UP Manila National Telehealth Center (UNDP Centre of Excellence for Free/Open Source Software in ASEAN+3) is organizing a Linux Professionals Institute (LPI) Community Certification Examination (LPI 101 and LPI 102).
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