Difference between revisions of "Open Source as Infrastructure"

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Amortized cost for community in the large; (like tax)
 
Amortized cost for community in the large; (like tax)
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== '''ICT for Development and cost implications''' ==
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=== ''' Case of computers for rural India''' ===
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Kentaro who was head of Microsoft research India
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: see: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/events/indiasummerschool2010/toyama-tenmyths-june23.pdf
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10 myths presentation of Kentaro elicits the role of infrastructure of various kinds that are essential for considering ICTD as solutions. The cost analysis compares the amortized cost of utilities versus the necessary cost of maintenance of the deployed computers in the villages. 40% for maintenance, 20% for training, 20% for distribution and installation, 15% for actual computers, connectivity and power. This indicates that almost 80% a typical ICTD project would maintenance, training and installation of computers/devices. Community capacity for these activities can not only reduce the cost by 50% but also nurture a healthy economy for the communities by channeling these expenses to local entrepreneurs.
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Bjorn and Frantisek on choosing open source ERP systems, in the book Open Source Eco-systems
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refer to the role of open source choice as good for promoting indigenous technological development, and that a UK document on international development asks for a review of policies regarding procurement to carefully evaluate products with respect to such benefits. "Other reasons for the adoption of open source software for developing countries include avoiding being hostage to proprietary software, advancing knowledge more quickly and helping to set up an information economy.

Revision as of 13:00, 13 November 2010


How Open source is making business economic sense

Kiran's argument that business economic sense would consider open source as infrastructure started this discussion.

http://jace.zaiki.in/2010/01/21/open-source-as-infrastructure

Some thoughts are documented by Ramkumar

What drives open source by Ramkumar

http://artagnon.com/what-drives-open-source
http://artagnon.com/modern-thoughts-on-open-source

Searl's writing that support this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_Searls
http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/understanding-infrastructure

"It is the generativity of Linux and the Net that makes both function as an essential yet poorly understood form of infrastructure: a kind that serves ecological as well as geological and architectural functions. As generative technologies, they support origination, production and reproduction to an extreme of fecundity that shames the most reproductive species." "I coined the expression 'markets are conversations' [for] I saw the LAN market change utterly, almost overnight, when the whole market shifted its core topic from pipes & protocols to services"

http://www.linuxjournal.com/files/linuxjournal.com/ufiles/ubiquitize_infrastructure.JPG

Ubiquity creates infrastructure. Commoditization moves from Scarcity to Ubiquity.

Infrastructure Discussion

This discussion, we hope will not only substantiate the business economic sense of open source but also a general understanding of community infrastructure. In turn, we hope that understanding the why and how of open source may provide us insights into a culture of infrastructure development. Again in Serle's language: "It is wrong to assume, as we have been doing throughout history, that those primarily responsible for the foundations of civilization are its leading figures and institutions. While those leaders are certainly involved, full respect must be given to the invention, as well as the hard work, done by the uncredited many." Open source analogies could make this aspect tractable. "That hackability-support is what gives us infinite varieties of infrastructure. What we need now is to start understanding new forms of infrastructure on their own terms, and to understand more deeply what infrastructure has been all along." "Can we align infrastructure and generativity? Answering these kinds of questions requires examining topics at a depth one cannot plumb just with news coverage, or by framing queries with the parochial interests of categories and factions. We are in new territory here."

Infrastructure:

  • Like utilities, roads, etc; basic necessaties for everyday performance.
  • Like decentralized activity that develops and sustains necessary depenencies.
  • Like assumed as available and developed by a culture.

Cost:

Amortized cost for community in the large; (like tax)

ICT for Development and cost implications

Case of computers for rural India

Kentaro who was head of Microsoft research India

see: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/events/indiasummerschool2010/toyama-tenmyths-june23.pdf

10 myths presentation of Kentaro elicits the role of infrastructure of various kinds that are essential for considering ICTD as solutions. The cost analysis compares the amortized cost of utilities versus the necessary cost of maintenance of the deployed computers in the villages. 40% for maintenance, 20% for training, 20% for distribution and installation, 15% for actual computers, connectivity and power. This indicates that almost 80% a typical ICTD project would maintenance, training and installation of computers/devices. Community capacity for these activities can not only reduce the cost by 50% but also nurture a healthy economy for the communities by channeling these expenses to local entrepreneurs.

Bjorn and Frantisek on choosing open source ERP systems, in the book Open Source Eco-systems refer to the role of open source choice as good for promoting indigenous technological development, and that a UK document on international development asks for a review of policies regarding procurement to carefully evaluate products with respect to such benefits. "Other reasons for the adoption of open source software for developing countries include avoiding being hostage to proprietary software, advancing knowledge more quickly and helping to set up an information economy.