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Public Software for the Public Sector
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Public Software for a Knowledge Society
Software developed for public service, and especially in government, has a unique context and objectives deriving from those of public service; with its imperative of providing public goods and ensuring equity and social justice. It is well known that private and commercial actions have very different context, motives and considerations than public actions. For instance, the largest possible reach and diffusion as well as transparency of actions are basic to public service, which are not necessarily values espoused by private and commercial players.
It is for this reason that software and applications developed for and in the public sector (meaning core governance areas and not the commercially organized public enterprises), which at present is developed largely in commercial/ private paradigms, need to be informed by a set of specific guidelines arising out of imperatives of public service1. Such 'Public Software' can be defined as “software developed for the public good, which is publicly owned”.
Public Software is essential to create a knowledge society for all, since only software that is freely shareable can allow universal access. Similarly, participation of citizens in knowledge creation is essential and this is possible only when the software itself is possible to be customized by all users. Both universal access and local customization is possible only with Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). Proprietary software or private software is neither freely shareable not is it possible for local customization. Government and indeed all public institutions (academic, civil society) must hence adopt public software and promote its adoption in society.
For anyone to participate in the digital society, computer is the primary instrument. Basic desktop/Laptop software hence needs to be freely shareable. This is easy to implement since there are several FOSS applications for operating system, document processing, video/image editing etc2. Many states in India are preferring public software applications on the desktops and this needs to be mandated by policy. Kerala and Assam already have and Tamil Nadu and other states are making such a policy. Apart from desktop software, public software is essential in areas of free and open fonts, open access databases and information repositories, open connectivity mechanisms etc.
In case of larger applications which require back-end application development, it is important that the software be purchased outright at the time of its development by the vendor. In most cases, the person making the RFP does not specify the ownership of the application and there is a danger that though public monies are paid to the vendor, the ownership remains with the private vendor. This means that the public sector entity does not have the right to make changes or corrections to the applications3 which makes government vulnerable to restrictions and cost escalations.
1Annexure A discusses the implications of the public sector principles such as universal access, transparency and participation and implications for software architecture
2See Annexure A
3The case of the AP NREGA is important to note. Though most of the knowledge for building this application is that of the government officials in the RPDR who provided the complex knowledge of the functioning of the government department and the scheme, but the ownership is the with private software vendor who provided the software development knowledge which is much more easily available in India
Application
Khasagi
Rs#
Karnataka
Cost (crores)
Sarvajanika (No cost)
Operating System
Windows
5,000
50,000,000
25,000
Ubuntu GNU/Linux
Anti Virus
McCafe
3000
50000000
15000
Not needed
Office
MS Office
10,000
50,000,000
50,000
Open Office, Star Office
PDF Editor
Adobe
30,000
50,000,000
150,000
PDFedit
Image editor
Photoshop
70,000
50,000,000
350,000
GIMP
Screen reader^
JAWS
50,000
2,500,000
12,500
Orca
Database
Oracle
100,000
2,500,000
25,000
MYSQL
Content Management System
Sharepoint
20,000
2,500,000
5,000
Drupal, Jhoomla
Accounting
Tally
10,000
2,500,000
2,500
GNU/Cache
Audio editor
50,000
1,000,000
5,000
Audacity
Desktop Publishing
CorelDraw
50,000
100,000
500
Scribus
640500
NIL
Software developed for public service, and especially in government, has a unique context and objectives deriving from those of public service; with its imperative of providing public goods and ensuring equity and social justice. It is well known that private and commercial actions have very different context, motives and considerations than public actions. For instance, the largest possible reach and diffusion as well as transparency of actions are basic to public service, which are not necessarily values espoused by private and commercial players.
It is for this reason that software and applications developed for and in the public sector (meaning core governance areas and not the commercially organized public enterprises), which at present is developed largely in commercial/ private paradigms, need to be informed by a set of specific guidelines arising out of imperatives of public service1. Such 'Public Software' can be defined as “software developed for the public good, which is publicly owned”.
Public Software is essential to create a knowledge society for all, since only software that is freely shareable can allow universal access. Similarly, participation of citizens in knowledge creation is essential and this is possible only when the software itself is possible to be customized by all users. Both universal access and local customization is possible only with Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). Proprietary software or private software is neither freely shareable not is it possible for local customization. Government and indeed all public institutions (academic, civil society) must hence adopt public software and promote its adoption in society.
For anyone to participate in the digital society, computer is the primary instrument. Basic desktop/Laptop software hence needs to be freely shareable. This is easy to implement since there are several FOSS applications for operating system, document processing, video/image editing etc2. Many states in India are preferring public software applications on the desktops and this needs to be mandated by policy. Kerala and Assam already have and Tamil Nadu and other states are making such a policy. Apart from desktop software, public software is essential in areas of free and open fonts, open access databases and information repositories, open connectivity mechanisms etc.
In case of larger applications which require back-end application development, it is important that the software be purchased outright at the time of its development by the vendor. In most cases, the person making the RFP does not specify the ownership of the application and there is a danger that though public monies are paid to the vendor, the ownership remains with the private vendor. This means that the public sector entity does not have the right to make changes or corrections to the applications3 which makes government vulnerable to restrictions and cost escalations.
1Annexure A discusses the implications of the public sector principles such as universal access, transparency and participation and implications for software architecture
2See Annexure A
3The case of the AP NREGA is important to note. Though most of the knowledge for building this application is that of the government officials in the RPDR who provided the complex knowledge of the functioning of the government department and the scheme, but the ownership is the with private software vendor who provided the software development knowledge which is much more easily available in India
|
Application |
Khasagi |
Rs# |
Karnataka |
Cost (crores) |
Sarvajanika (No cost) |
|
Operating System |
Windows |
5,000 |
50,000,000 |
25,000 |
Ubuntu GNU/Linux |
|
Anti Virus |
McCafe |
3000 |
50000000 |
15000 |
Not needed |
|
Office |
MS Office |
10,000 |
50,000,000 |
50,000 |
Open Office, Star Office |
|
PDF Editor |
Adobe |
30,000 |
50,000,000 |
150,000 |
PDFedit |
|
Image editor |
Photoshop |
70,000 |
50,000,000 |
350,000 |
GIMP |
|
Screen reader^ |
JAWS |
50,000 |
2,500,000 |
12,500 |
Orca |
|
Database |
Oracle |
100,000 |
2,500,000 |
25,000 |
MYSQL |
|
Content Management System |
Sharepoint |
20,000 |
2,500,000 |
5,000 |
Drupal, Jhoomla |
|
Accounting |
Tally |
10,000 |
2,500,000 |
2,500 |
GNU/Cache |
|
Audio editor |
|
50,000 |
1,000,000 |
5,000 |
Audacity |
|
Desktop Publishing |
CorelDraw |
50,000 |
100,000 |
500 |
Scribus |
|
|
|
|
|
640500 |
NIL |
Microsoft sees 60% jump in profit, boosted by Windows 7
From the article below, I had two thoughts:
a. The net profit of Microsoft for 3 months was $6.66 billion, which is around 32,000 crore rupees. Thus in 3 months one company made more money than what the Karnataka Government has invested in school education for the last five years!
b. The rate of profit, calculated as net profit / revenues (6.66 billion / 19.2 billion) is is around 35% - very few companies in the world would have a net profit margin which more than 1/3 of revenues!!
Is there something unusual/even wrong in these economics?? These profits for Microsoft are costs for rest of society. When superior operating systems (I use Ubuntu - an African word meaning 'Humanity to others) are available freely shareable, how does a buggy, bloatware make 33% margin for its makers!
regards,
Guru
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8486378.stm
Microsoft sees 60% jump in profit, boosted by Windows 7
Microsoft launched Windows 7 in October last year. Microsoft has reported a 60% jump in profit, thanks largely to "exceptional demand" for Windows 7. Net profit came in at $6.66bn (£4.13bn) for the three months to 31 December 2009, up from the $4.18bn it made in the same period a year earlier. It also reported record revenues of $19.2bn, which comfortably beat analysts' forecasts. "We are thrilled by the consumer reception to Windows 7," said Kevin Turner, chief operating officer. "This is a record quarter for Windows units."
'Outstanding'
Windows 7 has proved to be Microsoft's best-selling operating system to date after the disappointing Vista. Microsoft was helped by a rebound in personal computer sales in the run-up to Christmas. The company's results are closely tied to computer sales because its two most profitable divisions make the Windows Operating System and Office business software. "These are outstanding numbers," said Brendan Barnicle from Pacific Crest Securities. "The upside was in the Windows business and service and tools, and Office business. The online business came in line and the only business shy of expectations was Xbox." Shares in Microsoft rose 25 cents, or 0.9%, to $29.41 in after-hours trading.
a. The net profit of Microsoft for 3 months was $6.66 billion, which is around 32,000 crore rupees. Thus in 3 months one company made more money than what the Karnataka Government has invested in school education for the last five years!
b. The rate of profit, calculated as net profit / revenues (6.66 billion / 19.2 billion) is is around 35% - very few companies in the world would have a net profit margin which more than 1/3 of revenues!!
Is there something unusual/even wrong in these economics?? These profits for Microsoft are costs for rest of society. When superior operating systems (I use Ubuntu - an African word meaning 'Humanity to others) are available freely shareable, how does a buggy, bloatware make 33% margin for its makers!
regards,
Guru
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8486378.stm
Microsoft sees 60% jump in profit, boosted by Windows 7
Microsoft launched Windows 7 in October last year. Microsoft has reported a 60% jump in profit, thanks largely to "exceptional demand" for Windows 7. Net profit came in at $6.66bn (£4.13bn) for the three months to 31 December 2009, up from the $4.18bn it made in the same period a year earlier. It also reported record revenues of $19.2bn, which comfortably beat analysts' forecasts. "We are thrilled by the consumer reception to Windows 7," said Kevin Turner, chief operating officer. "This is a record quarter for Windows units."
'Outstanding'
Windows 7 has proved to be Microsoft's best-selling operating system to date after the disappointing Vista. Microsoft was helped by a rebound in personal computer sales in the run-up to Christmas. The company's results are closely tied to computer sales because its two most profitable divisions make the Windows Operating System and Office business software. "These are outstanding numbers," said Brendan Barnicle from Pacific Crest Securities. "The upside was in the Windows business and service and tools, and Office business. The online business came in line and the only business shy of expectations was Xbox." Shares in Microsoft rose 25 cents, or 0.9%, to $29.41 in after-hours trading.
Income Tax return e-filing only on Microsoft Excel format
Subject: IT Return on-line upload
From: Guru गुरु <guru@itforchange.net>
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:22:21 +0530
To: ask@incometaxindia.gov.in
Dear Sir,
I use Free and Open Source Software on my computer. I have the Ubuntu GNU/Linux operating system
and Open Office application.
These software are freely shareable without needing to make any payment of license fee to any
vendors. They are being used by millions of people all over the world. Whereas the IT on-line
Subject: IT Return on-line upload
From: Guru गुरु <guru@itforchange.net>
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:22:21 +0530
To: ask@incometaxindia.gov.in
Dear Sir,
I use Free and Open Source Software on my computer. I have the Ubuntu GNU/Linux operating system
and Open Office application.
These software are freely shareable without needing to make any payment of license fee to any
vendors. They are being used by millions of people all over the world. Whereas the IT on-line
Comments on the statements made by Microsoft India Group Director (Public Sector) Karan Bajwa
Microsoft India Group Director (Public Sector) Karan Bajwa in an interview with Pravin Prashant made several contestable statements from which I will pick a couple. Read Full Interview
