Philippine state-run school migrating to open source technology

[Fátima Lasay]

UP migrating to open source technology
Posted: 1:10 AM (Manila Time) | Sept. 30, 2003
By Erwin Lemuel G. Oliva
INQ7.net

Out of Windows

IN an unprecedented move for a state-run school, the University of the 
Philippines system (campuses) has begun a gradual migration from Microsoft 
Windows to open source software, INQ7.net learned.

With full backing from no less than UP president Francisco Nemenzo and the 
University's Board of Regents, the state university is now migrating its 
computer systems to open source technology beginning February 2003.


The school has begun implementing the plan in Diliman, Quezon City through 
the UP Computer Center.

The UP Computer Center was tasked to execute the migration plan, which 
involved a massive information campaign as phase one and training in 
several UP campuses -- namely Manila, Los Banos, Baguio, Visayas, Mindanao 
-- for phase two.

The state-run university has just finished training users in other 
campuses, said Myra Siazon, a systems developer working at the UP Computer 
Center. in a telephone interview with INQ7.net.

Siazon said the UP Computer Center is now at the helm of pushing open 
source software and applications to the UP system with help from the 
Department of Science and Technology.

"As much as possible (the UP system) will use open source software. It is a 
policy that we have right now to discourage use of pirated software. We're 
now in a transition phase," Siazon added.

Early this year, the UP system laid down its own policy outlining the 
acceptable terms for using technology in the university's campuses.

The policy is contained in the "Acceptable Use Policy for Information 
Technology Resources of the UP System" (AUP). It embodies the rules and 
regulations approved by the Board of Regents on October 2002.

Apart from ensuring "equitable, secure and reliable access to IT resources 
of the university" for students, faculty and personnel, the AUP also 
"encourages the use of open source operating system and applications such 
as Linux and OpenOffice if they cannot afford the licensing fees of their 
software."

The UP policy on software and technology use was issued on February 1, 2003.

INQ7.net tried to get in touch with Nemenzo but he was unavailable for 
comment.


UP migrating to open
source technology
Posted: 1:10 AM (Manila Time) | Sept. 30, 2003
By Erwin Lemuel G. Oliva
INQ7.net

Nemenzo's article

However, in an article posted by the UP president at the university's 
online forum early this year, Nemenzo explained why the school was moving 
to open source software.

In the article titled "Ibagsak ang digital imperialism (Down with digital 
imperialism)," Nemenzo wrote that the state University's move was not only 
motivated by economic but political reasons.


"The issue is not just economic (or cost-cutting) but political or gaining 
freedom from digital imperialism. Linux is the antidote to monopolistic 
control. It is truly liberative and empowering. Liberative because it is so 
designed that it cannot be locked in by a giant company that wants to carve 
out a captive market. Empowering because, being open source, it allows 
users to modify and improve on any program," said Nemenzo in obvious 
reference to Microsoft.

He went on: "Of course, the economic issue is important. Libre kasi ito 
(Because it is free). Walang hahabol sa atin dahil sa paglabag ng 
Intellectual Property Rights ng WTO. Years ago, when I was writing a column 
for the Philippine Daily Globe and, later, for the Manila Times, I defended 
software piracy as "the revenge of the Third World." Now that is not 
necessary because Linux has opened up an alternative for proprietary 
software."

Nemenzo jokingly said that he opted to write the article in Filipino to 
avoid being understood by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

The article, seen at www.up.edu.ph/forum/2003/Jan03/letter.html, begins 
with a story of a character named "Kule" who refuses to use Linux. Instead, 
the character remains loyal to Microsoft Windows, which he has gotten used 
to. The article eventually segues to the main reasons behind the 
University's move to open source.

"To promote Linux, the Advance Science and Technology Institute tries to 
overcome the valid criticism that Linux is difficult to install. With 
Bayanihan Linux, it takes only three keystrokes to install Linux. And the 
package includes alternatives to MS Word, Powerpoint and Excel," Nemenzo said.

Nemenzo encouraged students and faculty to use the Linux desktop system 
developed by the Advanced Science and Technology Institute, an attached 
agency of DOST.

This year, the UP Computer Center established a help desk cum tech support 
for the whole UP system to help users deal with open source software and 
applications, said the UP Computer Center's Siazon.




Fátima Lasay http://digitalmedia.upd.edu.ph/digiteer/