UNDP Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme (UNDP-APDIP) brought together a distinguished panel of experts to discuss questions such as: What are the clear benefits specific to the adoption of free / open source software (FOSS) for developing countries? How does the choice of software (FOSS or proprietary) impact the outcomes of ICT enabled sustainable development? What are the proven business models of FOSS development and related services? Should governments play a role in promoting software preferences outside the public sector? Should it be an either or decision either FOSS or proprietary software when public resources are involved?

This event was organized by the Interntaional Open Source Network (IOSN), an initiative of UNDP-APDIP, with support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada; and in partnership with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

Panelists:
Robert Kramer, Vice President of Public Policy, CompTIA
Louis-Dominique Oudraogo, Inspector, UN Joint Inspection Unit
Bruce Perens, Vice President, Sourcelabs, Inc.
Mark Shuttleworth, President, Ubuntu Foundation
Richard Stallman, Founder, Free Software Foundation
Shane Wall, Vice President, Intel Corporation

Moderator:
Kenneth Cukier, Technology Correspondent, The Economist

on this subject: Information Processing Tools