National Initiative for Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)

Overview

The FOSS Initiative was launched in March 2010 during the Free and Open Source Software Symposium in Muscat. It aims to support different technology solutions, applications and software which represent the cornerstone of business sector in the Sultanate. This initiative is established through cooperation with the concerned governmental and non-governmental organizations including:

  • Higher education institutions.
  • Scientific Research Council.
  • Private sector.
  • National specialized associations (IT and Education Technology).
  • Government different specialized units.

Objectives:

  • Introduce FOSS as a good choice along with proprietary software.
  • Develop human capacities in the field of FOSS through offering specialized training courses.
  • Encourage research in the development and innovation in the field of FOSS.
  • Develop IT solutions and eServices based on FOSS.
  • Increasing awareness of intellectual property through encouraging the public to use FOSS, in order to limit the use of unlicensed software.
  • Promote the culture of FOSS in the Omani community.
  • Provide the necessary technical support through developing a mechanism for digital solutions and applications based on FOSS.
  • Support the application of FOSS at the level of the administrative apparatus of the government.

Targeted Groups:

This initiative targets Government different specialized units and all categories of the Omani society.

Services:

The national initiative for Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) includes the following activities:

  • Introductory lectures on FOSS.
  • Specialized workshops on the applications of FOSS.
  • Specialized training courses.
  • Advertising campaign about the benefits of FOSS.
  • Holding competitions to promote digital solutions based on FOSS.
  • Providing FOSS for the community members.
  • FOSS deployment & development consultancy.

 

Statistics:

  • Conduct more than 100 awareness lectures in Muscat, Al Batinah South and North governorates, AdDakhiliyah, AlDhahirah and Dhofar.
  • Distribute 60,000 CDs which contain more than 50 open source software during the awareness program.
  • Holding the Free and Open Source Software Conference with partnership with Sultan Qaboos University, which was attended by a number of national, regional and international FOSS specialists. Website: fossc.om
  • Establish 5 computer labs specialized in FOSS in different universities and colleges.
  • Train more than 2700 trainees on different applications of FOSS.
  • Launch FOSS gateway through collaboration with Sultan Qaboos University in 2012: link: mirror.squ.edu.om
  • Launch Oman Summer of code as flagship program to encourage developers to use open source software. Website: ita.gov.om/osoc
  • Conduct House of Open Source program in 2015 to link local FOSS developers community with international projects & communities. Program page in Github website : https://github.com/HOST-Oman

 

Contact Information:

Email:

foss@ita.gov.om

Phone:

+968 24149546 – 24166864