it@foss supports the development and application of local innovative software solutions and business models based on Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in the ASEAN region.

The it@foss website provides comprehensive information on the it@foss activities and latest news by the network. Below follows a summary of it@inwent's involvement.

Activities and Target Groups

it@foss promotes FOSS in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam at four levels:

• Awareness + Knowledge: We aim to enable software developers, decision makers and companies to make sound assessments on the benefits and risks of FOSS solutions and to stimulate their sharing of experiences.
• Development + Cooperation: We contribute to building an active FOSS developer community that collaborates on locally adapted software products, receiving support and ideas through regional and international networks.
• Business Models: We facilitate cooperation between European and Asian companies, to inspire and strengthen the development of viable and sustainable FOSS-based business solutions.
• Education + Dissemination: We empower multiplying organizations to cooperate and to competently train others on FOSS applications and opportunities in order to increase users' familiarity with FOSS.

Our activities include the organization of regional and international conferences to foster networking, national and regional workshops and trainings to develop capacities, and facilitation of partnerships to promote awareness and cooperation.

it@foss started in 2005 with the organization of the international COSGov conference in Vietnam, bringing together about 300 Vietnamese IT experts, government representatives, and entrepreneurs with the European FOSS community around the issue of FOSS for eGovernance. In Cambodia, it@foss together with local partners has conducted FOSS localization trainings in the Khmer language for developers and multipliers since 2004.

Concept and Background

ICT solutions based on Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) are of increasing interest to Southeast Asian countries for advancing their development in administration, education, health, or business promotion. The free availability of the source code and the liberal licensing of FOSS allows users to study, change, and improve the software. Therefore, FOSS enables developers to build on existing software solutions, to adapt software to local needs, and to legally realize cost-efficient local IT systems.

While in several regions of the world, vibrant communities of FOSS developers continually enhance and increase the available software pool, many Southeast Asian IT experts lack FOSS knowledge and are not well networked, neither among each other nor internationally. In local government and educational institutions, knowledge about FOSS opportunities is not widespread among decision makers, and many entrepreneurs are not aware of how to use FOSS for business purposes.

In this context, the objective of it@foss is to raise awareness, build and enhance capacities, and stimulate networking on FOSS issues at different levels for key stakeholders. Only together, can the key actors effectively realize local innovative ICT solutions for development.

Fostering capacities and networking around FOSS is in line with the overall mission of InWEnt – Capacity Building International, which is to strengthen local human capacities so that people are empowered to develop their own solutions for social and economic development.