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Govt move on to let in Linux
PRASENJIT BHATTACHARYA
[spacer.gif]
TIMES NEWS NETWORK [spacer.gif] [ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2002
12:54:49 PM ]
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NEW DELHI: The government of India has started taking precise,
wide-reaching steps to usher in a Linux wave in India.
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And that cannot be good news for proprietary software vendors like
Microsoft. Yesterday, the IT ministry had a meeting of around 70
people, from companies like HP, IBM, Sun and TCS, government agencies
like BARC and CDAC, state governments like Kerala, West Bengal and MP
to evolve a level playing field for Linux vis-a-vis proprietary
software (read Microsoft).
=20
All the IITs too were represented at the meeting that went on for 4
hours.
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There was consensus in the meeting that Linux was a secure, robust and
cost-effective system.
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As far as concrete pro-Linux acts go, government tenders may soon stop
specifying Microsoft or any other vendor=E2s name while floating
software tenders, thus throwing open the way for Linux vendors to grab
lucrative government contracts hitherto barred from them.
=20
The government is also setting up special interest groups with
officials of industry and academia to find out how Linux can be
deployed in e-governance, defence, education and so on.
=20
Since support to Linux is till a big issue, the government is also
thinking in terms of setting up support and resource services, and
call centres for Linux users. It is also looking at setting up pilot
sites, where Linux applications can be =E2touched and felt=E2. A
heartening fact for Linux-philes would be the enthusiasm for Linux
shown by extremely security-sensitive agencies like Bhabha Atomic
Research Centre and the National Information Centre (NIC).
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Another aspect that came out in the meeting was the work on
Indianisation of Linux that=E2s happening now.
=20
C-DAC=E2s agency NCST and Red Hat have, for instance, developed a Hindi
version of Linux, called Indix. IIT Mumbai too is doing pioneering
research in Linux.=C2
=20
Yesterday=E2s meeting of industry, academia and government
representatives was chaired by IT secretary R R Shah. According to
industry sources, companies like Sun and TCS were all enthusiasm for
Linux, with the TCS representative claiming that the company was
implementing the country=E2s largest Linux project in Chennai. The
government, however, was at pains to bring out the fact that it was
not against Microsoft or proprietary software and was only looking to
leverage the strengths of open source software.
=20
However, one official present at the meeting wisecracked, =E2Microsoft
would have had a heart attack if it was present at the meeting. The
interest in Linux at this meeting was palpable.=E2
=20
One influential official told ET that many people were =E2violently
against=E2 computer textbooks in schools and colleges teaching=C2
Microsoft Word or Excel, instead of generic applications or
technologies, like word processors. Industry sources also said that on
the sidelines of the meeting, there were two views among those present
about Microsoft=E2s reported move of sharing source code with the
government. While some thought it was just =E2posturing=E2 by MS, others
felt that it was a =E2genuine=E2 attempt by the Redmond giant to reach
out.
=20
However, sources said that it was the representative from Madhya
Pradesh, who made a forceful case for Linux. He said that since MP had
a paucity of resources, Linux seemed the best solution for the state.
He, however, said that there was need to train people in Linux
technologies. A member of the Linux user group sprang up to say that
the MP government can take help of the extremely active Linux User
group in Indore.
______________________________________________________________________
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