FOSS Initiative in Oman - Facts & Challenges...FOSS Awareness - few figures Workshops: More than 70...
Transcript of FOSS Initiative in Oman - Facts & Challenges...FOSS Awareness - few figures Workshops: More than 70...
FOSS Initiative in Oman
- Facts & Challenges -
By: Hassan Al-Lawati
Director – e-Industry Development
Information Technology Authority (ITA)
Edited jointly with: Prof. Hadj Bourdoucen
Director of CIRC – Sultan Qaboos University
Information Technology Authority (ITA)
Vision:
Information Technology Authority (ITA) is a government entity that works with a vision to transform the
Sultanate of Oman into a sustainable Knowledge Society by leveraging Information and Communication
Technologies to enhance government services, enrich businesses and empower individuals.
Mission:
ITA is pioneering the implementation of e.Oman strategy. The e.Oman strategy comprises of a wide range
of initiatives and services that are designed and created to improve the efficiency of government services,
enhance the activities of businesses and empower individuals with skills and knowledge, to meet society’s
needs and expectations and to direct Oman towards becoming a sustainable Knowledge-based Economy.
Royal Decree 52/2006 - 31st of May 2006
• Part of eOman strategy.
• enriching IT Sector in Oman.
• Contribution to the:
- IT production. - Innovation.
FOSS & eOman
FOSS Initiative Launched 2010
1- Awareness Program
2- Capacity Building
4- Tech. Support
3- FOSS Development
TTT: LPI (LPC1,LPC2 & LPC3) certification program for instructors
ITI: LPI (LPC1,LPC2 & LPC3) certification program for individuals
End users (Ubuntu & Liber office): TTT & individuals
Awareness workshops, seminars to be conducted regularly to different target group..
Fre
e O
pe
n S
ourc
e S
oftw
are
In
itia
tive
Encouraging R& D through TRC & SQU
Establishing a national support
mechanism to support deployment
in the public sector.
Distribute or Facilitate the access to the free software..
Website to promote awareness activities, news and operate as a
mirror server.
Establish Training & Testing Lab in each of the HEI
Conducting Competitions and awards
Industry cert. track : Redhat, Suse, MYSQL, etc..
Awareness Articles to be published on periodic basis in the news papers
2010 2013 2015+
Colla
bora
tion w
ith H
E institu
tions
5- Deployment
Extended
Deployment
FOSSI ROADMAP
Utilize the Training & Testing Lab to develop FOSS
1- Awareness Program
FOSS Awareness - few figures
Workshops: More than 70 FOSS awareness sessions in different Sultanate regions.
Conferences: FOSSC Oman 2013, 2015 2017,…every 2-years jointly with CIRC-SQU.
www.fossc.om
OpenDVDs: Distributed >60K with >50 FOSS software during awareness sessions and initiatives ex: NPC.
FOSS Gateway (SQU hosted): mirror.squ.edu.om
FOSS Conference - 2013
2- Capacity Building
Capacity Building - (till end 2014)
Training Program Outcomes
Linux - Certifications Track:
LE -Linux Essentials Certification 62
LPIC-1 Junior Level Linux Certification 152
LPIC-2 Advanced Level Linux Certification 12
FOSS Technologies - None Cert. Track:
GIMP – Inkscape – PHP – Android – Joomla-Blender – Python-
WordPress 775
FOSS Training for School IT Teachers:
Ubuntu - OpenOffice – GIMP- Inkscape 159
Total: 1,160
3- FOSS Development
FOSS Labs
Singing 5 MoU’s with 5 educational institutes.
Establish 3 Labs for FOSS Development: (SQU, Middle East College, Nizwa University).
Future Labs: Sohar Applied Science College, Shinas College of Technology, Ibri Applied Science College.
FOSS Lab – SQU 2013
13
FOSS Lab – MEC 2015
Oman
SoC
Training, Competition & Business Development
Program.
- (Inspired from Google SoC).
Targeted Students, Job seekers, Employees
Objectives
1. Inspire young developers to participate in FOSS
solutions.
2. Encourage champions to think creative.
3. Focus on developing startups in most demanded
sectors such as Enterprise solutions & mobile apps.
4. Create and develop Omani product and IP.
Practice • Once a year (Summer)
Oman Summer of Code - (initiated 2013)2013
Oman Summer of Code Exhibition – (2013)
OSoC Outcomes - 2013 & 2014
Participations 2013 2014
Participations 40 50
Completed Projects 11 21
1- Awareness Program
2- Capacity Building
4- Tech. Support
3- FOSS Development
TTT: LPI (LPC1,LPC2 & LPC3) certification program for instructors
ITI: LPI (LPC1,LPC2 & LPC3) certification program for individuals
End users (Ubuntu & Liber office): TTT & individuals
Awareness workshops, seminars to be conducted regularly to different target group..
Fre
e O
pe
n S
ourc
e S
oftw
are
In
itia
tive
Encouraging R& D through TRC & SQU
Establishing a national support
mechanism to support deployment
in the public sector.
Distribute or Facilitate the access to the free software..
Website to promote awareness activities, news and operate as a
mirror server.
Establish Training & Testing Lab in each of the HEI
Conducting Competitions and awards
Industry cert. track : Redhat, Suse, MYSQL, etc..
Awareness Articles to be published on periodic basis in the news papers
2010 2013 2015+
Colla
bora
tion w
ith H
E institu
tions
5- Deployment
Extended
Deployment
FOSSI ROADMAP
Utilize the Training & Testing Lab to develop FOSS
FOSS Challenges
-Oman-
Challenges
Limited understanding of FOSS potential benefits at most sectors (Edu, Com, Gov, Private) – specially with Decision Makers.
IT managers in government have less confidence on FOSS
technology – due to limited FOSS skilled resources Due to less market demand, the IT commercial industry is not
in favor to produce FOSS based products & supporting solutions.
The Education system is not keen to diversify its IT curriculums.
FOSS Way Forward Directions
-Oman-
FOSS Way Forward
FOSS Framework (2016-2020):
CONTINUE jointing hands between ITA & SQU
-still not enough to overcome the challenges-
Policies, financial
& other support
in place
Demand
Customers
* Government
* Private Industry
Supply Suppliers
* Entrepreneurs
* Businesses
* Developers
* Experts
* Idea Providers
Inc
rea
se
Incre
ase
Product/ Solution
Maturity
* What products/ ideas
they have?
* How many successful
installations do they have?
* What is the level of
maturity of the business/
product/ solution?
Inc
rea
se
Suggested FOSS
Framework: 2016-2020
ITA & SQU
seeking support
from stakeholders
to collaborate
Thank You
25