©2009 Cristina Breña Breña. Algunos derechos reservados. Esta obra se distribuye bajo licencia Creative Commons “Reconocimiento-Compartir Igual 3.0″ disponible en http://creativecommons/licences/by-sa/3.0/es

The II Meeting Morfeo in Latin America was the best possible scenario to expand the network of contacts and collaborations that now bind the Latin American Morfeo offices in the country and ours. Also, it made us realize that the work carried by Morfeo is not an isolated initiative because there are many other communities which have the same objectives. The Spanish free software community unveiled its proposals and activities, and in return picked up new approaches deserve to be considered.

Thanks to Jomar Silva, ODF Alliance, Corinth and Meffe, project manager of the Secretariat of Logistics and Technology  Information of the Ministry of Planning, we know some initiatives close to our work  how it is the case of the Free and Open Software Collaboration Network (RCSLA). Its aim is to support initiatives in the free and open software area and stimulate the development of micro and small companies in the area, as it shown in the official page of the collaborative network [1]. The public Bazilian software specifies the use and development policy in  the public sector in the country. This policy defines the relationship between public administration with the companies and society. In the context of the public software arises the opportunity to produce mechanisms that enable  the establishment of a network of interested people in free software and public administration.

The RCSLA project, is an  initiative of ONU/PNUD (Program of Unit Nations for the Development), which count with the collaboration of UFMG ( Federal University of Minas Gerais), and until now also it has as partners the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Planning, Budget and Management, National Federation of Companies of Technical Services of Computer Science and Similar (FENAINFO), and the previous mention University.

As the first part of the project, it is offered a list of more than 20 software solutions, which count with corresponding business ecosystem, and consist of several specialist fields such as theory of the information, medical, administration, or education.
On the one hand, the Brazilian public software web, www.softwarepublico.gov.br, provides new tools for the administration sectors as well as public services to the society, all of them based in open source software.

On the other hand, as you know, Morfeo base, proposes the adoption of strategies to direct the  strengthen of the free software community and to the establish of collaboration lines with the business communities emerge within free software. Therefore, the understanding with initiatives like RCSLA  is obvious so, it will be necessary to seek ways of collaboration and mutual reinforcement.

[1] http://rcsla3.dcc.ufmg.br/principal/

 “Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” (Martin Luther King, Strength to Love, 1963 )

Members of I+D OpenInnova Group have written a research called “El coste de oportunidad derivado de las trayectorias tecnológicas” [1] “El verdadero coste de la elección tecnológica: ¡Cómo emplear (sabiamente) el dinero del contribuyente!” [2] where it is refereed to the economic benefits that it can be obtain throughbooting open source technology (FLOSS) in our society. More particularly, in the first part of the article it is focus in the public administration of the TIC’s expensive whereas in the second part, it is analyzed the safe that suppose changing the Windows private software to the Linux open source.

OpenInnova is the movement of open source software around the new models of collaboration and knowledge creation. It means, the necessity to share and cooperate for the distribution of the innovation in the market.

Based in the last biennial IRIA 2008 Report [3] (Report about Computers Scientist Resources of the Public Administrations) with the data obtained in 2007, it has achieved an interesting results. Without any doubt, the most prodigious data are the ones that are referring to the amount of money that our public administration could save if they replace the Windows operating system to Linux. In total, it is assumed 37,2 millions of euros per year (both software and hardware). Enough amount to be consider. Even if the change isn’t be total, only partial, the save money will still be quite essential, 15,5 millions of euros.

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