National Free Software Initiative Launched

Muscat, Mar 9 (ONA)---The Information Technology Authority (ITA) launched at the Muscat Intercontinental Hotel today the National Free Software Support Initiative in a seminar organized by ITA under the auspices of Mohammed bin Nasser al Khusaibi, Secretary General of the National Economy Ministry and Chairman of ITA.

      He told reporters that the National Free Software Support Initiative will shed light on free software features and capacities in the Sultanate. There is an intention at the global, Arab and Omani level to support dissemination of these software, which will be highlighted in the seminar by experts and specialized personnel, he added.

      The free software provides a room for innovation and development by individuals and establishments, he said. They are not meant to replace the current commercial software and applications used by individuals and establishments. They are real alternative for all, he added. ITA will provide financial support to higher education institutions, which are dealing with ITA, he furthered.

     Dr. Salim bin Sultan al Ruzaiqi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ITA gave a speech describing the National Free Software Support Initiative as a new one established within the framework of the National Strategy of Omani Digital Society and e-Government that aimed at encouraging and adopting different solutions, software and applications.

     "By this initiative, ITA seeks to promote and develop the software industry in the Sultanate and utilize its high features and potentials to create good environment for research, innovation and development by individuals and establishments in the Sultanate," he added.

      He pointed out that the National Free Software Support Initiative addresses four major themes: enhancing free software culture in society, stressing their benefits for developers and users, building human capacities through specialized training programmes, encouraging and developing solutions and applications-based services and establishing mechanism to support employing existing solutions and applications which are based on free software. Implementation of this initiative needs creating real partnership between active governmental, occupational and private establishments, he added.

     The seminar discussed a number of topics related to free software philosophy and initiative, Arab business to support free software, challenges and opportunities of success for local expertise, the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) experience in using free software, training on vocational certificates in free software by one of the Middle East Institutes and ITA's national free software initiative in the Sultanate.

     The seminar was attended by honourable members of the State Council, undersecretaries, Government and private sector's officials.

---Ends/Muk