International Open Source Network

…or IOSN.

I was recently introduced to the “International Open Source Network”.

“The International Open Source Network (IOSN) is a Center of
Excellence for FOSS in the Asia-Pacific Region. It shapes its activities around
Free/Open Source Software (FOSS) technologies and applications. Via a
small secretariat based at the UNDP Regional Centre in Bangkok and
three centres of excellence – IOSN ASEAN+3, IOSN PIC (Pacific Island
Countries), and IOSN South Asia, based in Manila, Suva and Chennai
respectively, the IOSN is tasked specifically to facilitate and network
FOSS advocates and human resources in the region. The vision is that
developing countries in the Asia-Pacific Region can achieve rapid and sustained
economic and social development by using affordable yet effective FOSS
ICT solutions to bridge the digital divide.”

It is my vision to implement Open Source Software at Goroka Hospital. With a delivery expected next week of 60 donated PC's pre-installed with Ubuntu Linux this dream is of to a flying start. Open Source has matured to the point where it has certainly become a viable business option. The almost zero cost for software coupled with the latest generation of quality developed OSS Solutions certainly warrants serious attention.

Enough for now – more on this later…