[Linux-aus] Government and Open Source Converge at LinuxWorld

[Donna Benjamin]

Government and Open Source Converge at LinuxWorld

'Government day' is an opportunity for Government decision makers to
discover how to leverage open source software and speak about how the
open source business and development communities can engage more
effectively with Government. 

The conference opened yesterday with a keynote by Jon 'maddog' Hall.
Maddog might look like Santa Claus but his message packs a punch. Free
Software isn't a question of price, but rather a path out of slavery.
Many established businesses have grappled with the expensive reality of
precious data locked in proprietary formats. Grappled, and paid the
price to buy back access to their own critical business information. 

Peter Quinn, former CIO of the Massachusetts Government will speak about
the policy, planning and pragmatic reasoning behind their move into open
source. The furore over the Massachusetts Government migration to
OpenDocument Office file formats hit the technology press everywhere.
Peter will give us the real story behind the headlines.

If LinuxWorld Conference & Expo is a first for Australia, then Australia
will serve up a first for the worldwide LinuxWorld Franchise. Pia Waugh,
Vice President of Linux Australia has been instrumental in the
development of this new part of the program. "This is an entire day of
conference proceedings solely devoted to Government strategy development
and implementation case studies. Speakers from Australian Federal
Government, NSW and WA Governments, the United Nations, New Zealand,
Malaysia and the United States will cover what's happening here and
around the world in the public sector." 

Often the major purchaser of IT systems in any given market, Governments
represent a significant opportunity for Open Source focused businesses.
Government's have particular requirements and must comply with legal and
financial frameworks. They must manage the long term preservation of
data. Governments need to be accountable to the communities they serve.

Anyone contemplating switching to open source for any part of their
business should visit the LinuxWorld Expo. It is an unparalleled
opportunity to talk to the big players in this space when their focus is
tuned to the open source market. Novell, HP, IBM, Oracle, Red Hat and
Sophos are major sponsors and have a solid presence at the show as well
as contributing senior speakers to the conference. 

Public officials and business people wanting to engage with Government
must seriously consider participating in this important dialogue.

Register on-site at the Sydney Convention Centre.
Further details at http://www.linuxworldexpo.com.au/


-- 
donna benjamin - executive director
http://www.creativecontingencies.com/
ph +61 3 9326 9985 | mob +61 418 310 414
research - facilitation - web development 


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