The first session will introduce free software and open source software, describing their relevance to developing countries. A brief history of free and open source software, the development process used, and the philosophy of FOSS will also be covered. The benefits of using FOSS, both cost-savings and otherwise, will be stressed. This session will clarify the basics and provide meaningful background for later sessions.

This session will give an overview of the status of free/open source software policies in various countries around the world, focusing particularly on the Asia-Pacific region. This will include developments in the rationale, formulation and implementation of policies and technical advancements in their respective countries.

This session covers the benefits of free/open source software from the government perspective and the effects of government procurement policies on FOSS adoption. The recent trend of policies on FOSS in government procurement will be considered, highlighting the different approaches, benefits and drawbacks. The session will also take into account best practices of where and how FOSS has been assimilated into government initiatives, especially e-government initiatives. Other relevant issues include open standards, access to public information, and interoperability between different systems.

This session will look at how free/open source software can play an important role in educational institutions and the policies that would encourage this. The usage of free/open source software in setting up the IT infrastructure not only cuts costs but also provide a better solution compared to proprietary software. The availability of free/open source learning management systems can facilitate the teaching/learning process which otherwise will be out of reach due to the high cost of proprietary solutions. This session will also cover the role of free/open source software in the IT curriculum in schools, colleges and universities and how it can also be used in the curriculum of non-IT programs. Policy issues regarding the use of FOSS in education at the national level and within the educational institutions will also be discussed.

Governments are one of the largest creators of specialized software applications, often with free/open source software components. This session will discuss the licensing and legal issues of using free/open source software in government applications as well as the fundamentals of the most common free/open source software licenses, including the GNU GPL, BSD, Artistic and Mozilla Public License. The benefits and responsibilities of using the different licenses will be explained, along with the clarification of some common misconceptions. The concepts of open content and the creative commons licenses will also be covered. The issues covered in this session are meant to facilitate decision-making with respect to adoption of FOSS.

Adapting ICT tools to the local language and culture is critical for the widespread adoption of ICT and the dissemination of its benefits to society at large. The session will clarify the issues for policy makers and stress the need for governments to take the lead in driving localization projects. In many cases, it will require governments to resolve incompatibilities between existing local, national, regional and international standards and encourage cooperation between the different parties involved. This session will identify the current situation, clarify the issues/findings and propose ways to move forward at the policy level.

Free/open source software can facilitate the process of establishing an infrastructure and ISP in a developing country. Free/open source applications are preferable solutions where a developing country or organizations plan to establish the backbone for Internet connectivity. The security of free/open source solutions is arguably better than proprietary software. The reason for this and other technical details and problems pertaining to the roll out of infrastructure and networks will be addressed. Ways to move forward and policy initiatives will be identified in the establishment of national infrastructure and networks.