Open-source, not Microsoft, best suited to Indonesia<\/p>\n
Vishnu K. Mahmud, Contributor, vmahmud@yahoo.com<\/p>\n
There's been some interest recently regarding the news that
\nPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono invited Microsoft chairman
\nBill Gates to open a research center in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The world's top software company is well known for its Windows
\noperating system and Microsoft Office productivity suite that is
\nthe de facto industry standard for writing and sharing documents.<\/p>\n
In addition, according to Thomas L. Friedman in his new book
\nThe World Is Flat, the Microsoft research center in Beijing,
\nChina, has proven to be an excellent breeding ground for new
\ntalent and innovation, making it a productive research arm for
\nthe U.S.-based company.<\/p>\n
This success is due to the fact that Microsoft hired the best
\ngraduates from local universities, mostly through referrals of
\ntop professors in their fields, and fostered a culture of
\nexcellence and learning, making the center a highly desirable
\nstop for a professional career.<\/p>\n
A reference letter from the center is said to be worth its
\nweight in gold and then some.<\/p>\n
So having a research center is a great idea for Indonesia,
\nright?<\/p>\n
Not so fast, says Onno W. Purbo. In an interview with
\ndetik.com, one of Indonesia's top open source activists warned
\nagainst using public funds to set up a research center that would
\nultimately profit the software maker. This then raises the
\nquestion, who will benefit the most out of this potential
\npartnership?<\/p>\n
The answer can be seen in the proprietary, not to mention
\ncostly, nature of Microsoft software. With prices of computer
\ncomponents continually falling, Microsoft Windows remains a major
\ncost when buying a new PC.<\/p>\n
And with police raids on software pirates and their users
\nbecoming fashionable, it would indeed be advisable to have a
\nlicensed operating system and applications. But Microsoft Office
\n2004 often costs as much as the computer itself!<\/p>\n
Local software developers may be able to benefit from a
\nMicrosoft research center, but considering the startup costs
\ninvolved -- the various licenses for Microsoft server software,
\ndatabases, and others -- perhaps only a select few will be able
\nto profit from this relationship.<\/p>\n
So what about open source? It is free. Free to download, free
\nto use (depending on which Linux distribution you choose) and
\nfree to customize for your home and business.<\/p>\n
Practically everyone can obtain tools to make quality
\nsoftware, with no hassles, no registration processes or serial
\nnumber verifications. And their products use low cost, industry
\nstandard frameworks such as Java, PHP or MySQL, making the final
\nprice of their software just as reasonable for their clients.<\/p>\n
Of course, nothing is free nowadays. Some Linux distributions
\nrequire license fees but considering the quality of their
\nproducts, and their low cost, a small investment for
\ncomputerizing your home or business should be worthwhile.<\/p>\n
As for after-sales service, many of the top Linux
\ndistributions now offer corporate support. Industry titan Novell,
\nfor example, offers two Linux systems with their Novel Linux
\nDesktop 9 and SUSE. Leading Linux company Red Hat just recently
\nappointed Computrade Technology International (CTI) as its sole
\ndistributor in Indonesia, offering not only joint marketing,
\nsales enablement and customized solutions, but also local
\ncustomer support.<\/p>\n
Major companies such as IBM and Oracle also offer Linux
\nsupport for their applications, allowing customers to find the
\nbest possible industry solution while running low-cost desktops
\nthat use open-standard web-based technology to access them.<\/p>\n
And of course, considering the plethora of viruses, Internet
\nworms and spyware that affect Microsoft computers worldwide, some
\nare getting weary of powering up their PCs online.<\/p>\n
The government should provide more support to its Indonesia
\nGoes Open Source (IGOS) program to move this country forward.
\nWindows and Linux are basically the same animal: they are
\nconduits for accessing the Internet, drafting documents, or
\nplaying games.<\/p>\n
It does not matter what type of application you use or what
\nsystem you install, in the end, computers are tools for you to
\nwork with. We should not be inflexible in learning new things.<\/p>\n
As governments overseas are switching over to Linux -- the
\ncity of Vienna, Austria being the latest convert -- Indonesia
\nshould back away from a relationship with a costly piece of
\nsoftware that offers little benefit over viable open-source
\nalternatives.<\/p>\n
Our minds and data files should be open to new innovations and
\nchanges in the future, and not be dictated by a single company
\nlead by the richest man in the world.<\/p>",
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