The Sunday Leader August 6 2006
Google find Sri Lankan open source software attractive

Search engine giant donates 2.5 million Rupees to Lanka Software Foundation

Google, the popular Internet search engine company donated $25,000 to the Lanka Software Foundation (LSF) in recognition of their open source software development efforts. LSF is a not-for-profit organization that facilitates global open source projects and has been a stepping stone for many local software developers.

Public scrutiny
Open source software such as the Linux operating system where users can view and access source code to customize IT solutions, has gained a lot of attention as an alternate way to develop and distribute software. Because open source software comes under extreme public scrutiny, it is most often more flexible and secure than closed proprietary software. Sri Lankan developers have also been active in driving a number of open source projects, especially at the Apache Software Foundation (ASF).

On the map!
This year Sri Lanka will be on the software developers’ map when it hosts ApacheCon Asia for the first time in Asia this month. Over three hundred Sri Lankan and international open source software developers are expected to attend this conference which is scheduled to be held at the Trans Asia Hotel in Colombo from August 14th to 17th.

Growing into a force
This event presented by the ASF aims to create a unique platform for the open source community in Asia to come together and gain an insight into techniques and methodologies critical to the advancement of open source technologies – which is now growing into a force to reckon with in the international IT industry.

Non-Profits driving FOSS
The conference will be a meeting ground for the big players, project leaders, inside experts and independent innovators. In addition the participants will be able to share their knowledge, hit upon new ideas, find solutions and connect with peers at this gathering of users, developers, and vendors. The conference is locally organized by the Lanka Software Foundation, the Lanka Linux Users' Group and The Linux Center, all of which are non-profit organizations driving the Sri Lankan FOSS community.

Justify the trust placed in us
Professor V.K. Samaranayake, Chairman of the LSF said that “Lanka Software Foundation has tried not only to develop new software and greater capacity for innovation, but has also been a pioneer in organizational innovation in the form of effective university-industry partnerships. The Google Foundation donation signifies that the world has begun to notice the qualitatively higher level of activity by the open source community in Sri Lanka.” Stating that these achievements were the result of proactive initiatives by firms and individuals in the software industry, he added that “it is now the responsibility of all associated with the Foundation to maintain the momentum and justify the trust placed in us by the Google Foundation.”

Come a long way
The open source movement has come a long way from the rebel close-knit community it once was. Today, this community has not only exploded in size, but is also challenging the traditional views of how technology and innovation should work. For these reasons it opens up many opportunities for the private sector, governmental and educational institutions. Especially for developing countries the major incentives are the cost benefits of not paying large amounts for software licenses and the freedom to shape technology to suit local needs.

Restricted!
“To date LSF has been severely restricted in the kinds of projects it could start because of funding restrictions. We hope to use this generous Google donation to seed a series of new R&D projects- starting with an effort around Apache Geronimo and also the popular open source database MySQL,” said Dr. Sanjiva Weerawarana, Co-Founder and Executive Director of LSF.
LSF also actively promotes open source software in the country by supporting various awareness programs.