Government supports use of open source software
04 - 11 - 2003

The Government is committed to supporting the development and use of open source software, the Acting Director of Information Technology Services, Mr Stephen Mak Hung-sung, said today (November 4).

Officiating at the Linux Business Adoption Award Presentation Ceremony and the opening of the LinuxWorld Conference & Expo Hong Kong 2003, Mr Mak said the Government welcomed the broadening of product choice brought by the development of open source software.

"In selecting software products and services, the Government emphasises value for money and interoperability, with no preference for brand names or particular technologies," he said.

Various policies and measures to promote open source software as a viable option for deployment have been adopted and Government departments have been installing such software progressively.

Nearly 1,000 open source software solutions have been installed on computers and servers in about half of all Government departments.

The Government recently issued a public consultation paper on the 2004 Digital 21 Strategy. Among other things, the strategy reinforces the Government's commitment to facilitate the development of innovative applications, deepen the e-government programme and foster the development of open source software through funding and other support measures.

To promote the use of open source software in Hong Kong, the Information Technology Services Department, the Hong Kong Productivity Council and the Hong Kong Linux Industry Association have jointly organised the Linux Business Adoption Campaign.

The Linux Business Adoption Award is one of the key activities of the Campaign. Fourteen organisations were recognised for successfully deploying Linux in their applications.

The awards covered a wide range of sectors and application areas, comprising office automation and business application, infrastructure building and communication, education and Linux appliance.

The winners included small and medium enterprises as well as large enterprises, schools, tertiary institutions and a government department. The Drainage Services Department received the Merit Award in the Infrastructure Building and Communication Application category.

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