Third World Software Could Have Role in Disaster Relief
,----[ Quote ]
| Version 2, released as free open source software for dealing with
| future disasters, allows the system to run on tablet computers, PDAs,
| mobile telephones and other low bandwidth small screen devices.
| Worthington says the developers are extending the system to help
| developing nations deal with a bird flu outbreak.
|
| [...]
|
| Worthington says the biggest barrier to Sahana's adoption is likely to
| be cultural, with western governments still grappling with the concepto
| f adopting open source software, and reticent to adopt software out of
| the third world. But he says a global pandemic would stretch the
| resources of all nations, creating a need for rapid dissemination
| of information and provision of temporary medical facilities -
| conditions similar to those prevailing during a natural disaster.
`----
http://www.cio.com.au/index.php/id;464014852
This reminds me of the following story:
Working Linux Emergency Response System Undermined at Homeland Security by
Microsoft Lobbying
,----[ Overview ]
| LAMP is at the heart of Emergency Response Network Systems and is
| saving lives. But recently, Microsoft maneuvered into taking the system
| away from a Free Software vendor.
`----
http://lxer.com/module/newswire/view/57181/
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