[Linux-aus] OSV media release: Open Source Victoria receives Next Wave Funding

[Con Zymaris]

[verbatim copies are allowed. please disseminate]

Open Source Victoria receives Next Wave Funding

NOVEMBER 17, Melbourne, Australia.The Open Source Victoria industry 
cluster has secured a matching $50,000 grant as part of Multimedia 
Victoria's Next Wave Program. The Next WaveProgram aims to identify and 
promote emerging technologies in the Victorian IT industry. 

"With this funding, Victoria enhances its position as a natural centre for 
Open Source solution provision in the region" said OSV member Con Zymaris.

OSV will use the grant to promote the use of Open Source technologies in 
the Victorian industry, government, and education sectors. This includes:

- providing support, training and information on how to improve our
  members' business effectiveness and their marketing and sales of Open
  Source Software;

- making high quality Open Source software kits available to over 5000
  Victorian business, government IT staff and educators and ICT industry
  players;

- preparation of numerous reports providing industry and public sector 
  firms with the machinery necessary to evaluate and migrate to OSS;

- fund and co-ordinate Australia's first Open Source programming 
  competition for school-age kids, called Wide Open Code;

- offer a free information referral service for all Victorian schools who 
  are seeking a better understanding of how Open Source software can be 
  used in education;

- sponsor Australia's first ongoing virtual forum for the discussion of 
  issues related to the deployment and development of Open Source 
  solutions within the government and public sectors.

- run a series of focussed information exchange events, seminars and 
  symposia in Melbourne and regional Victoria, to offer practical hands-on 
  demonstrations of planning for and undertaking migrations to Open Source 
  software.

"Open Source Software is in many cases technically superior to the
proprietary alternatives -- but most business managers, small
businesspeople, and even teachers may not be aware of these advantages,"  
said Adam Clarke, another member of OSV. "Our goal is to be a resource of
information about Open Source Software for the citizens of Victoria."

"OSV has been delighted with the enthusiasm shown by the Victorian
Government for our proposal," said Zymaris. "By increasing the adoption of
Open Source technologies in Victoria, we can actively grow the local ICT
industry."

About Open Source Victoria.

Open Source Victoria is an Industry Cluster consisting of over 80 
Victorian firms and developers which provide services and technology 
related to Free and Open Source Software (FOSS.) Open Source Victoria 
offers marketing, advocacy and information referral services, and aims to 
raise the profile of FOSS in Victoria and work with other similar 
organisations across Australia.

source: 
http://www.osv.org.au/index.cgi?tid=111

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Con Zymaris <conz at cyber.com.au> Level 4, 10 Queen St, Melbourne 03 9621 2377 
Cybersource: Unix/Linux, TCP/IP and Web App. Development  www.cyber.com.au