FOSS Initiative in Oman

- Facts & Challenges -

By: Hassan Al-Lawati

Director – e-Industry Development

Information Technology Authority (ITA)

Edited jointly with: Prof. Hadj Bourdoucen

Director of CIRC – Sultan Qaboos University

Information Technology Authority (ITA)

Vision:

Information Technology Authority (ITA) is a government entity that works with a vision to transform the

Sultanate of Oman into a sustainable Knowledge Society by leveraging Information and Communication

Technologies to enhance government services, enrich businesses and empower individuals.

Mission:

ITA is pioneering the implementation of e.Oman strategy. The e.Oman strategy comprises of a wide range

of initiatives and services that are designed and created to improve the efficiency of government services,

enhance the activities of businesses and empower individuals with skills and knowledge, to meet society’s

needs and expectations and to direct Oman towards becoming a sustainable Knowledge-based Economy.

Royal Decree 52/2006 - 31st of May 2006

• Part of eOman strategy.

• enriching IT Sector in Oman.

• Contribution to the:

- IT production. - Innovation.

FOSS & eOman

FOSS Initiative Launched 2010

1- Awareness Program

2- Capacity Building

4- Tech. Support

3- FOSS Development

TTT: LPI (LPC1,LPC2 & LPC3) certification program for instructors

ITI: LPI (LPC1,LPC2 & LPC3) certification program for individuals

End users (Ubuntu & Liber office): TTT & individuals

Awareness workshops, seminars to be conducted regularly to different target group..

Fre

e O

pe

n S

ourc

e S

oftw

are

In

itia

tive

Encouraging R& D through TRC & SQU

Establishing a national support

mechanism to support deployment

in the public sector.

Distribute or Facilitate the access to the free software..

Website to promote awareness activities, news and operate as a

mirror server.

Establish Training & Testing Lab in each of the HEI

Conducting Competitions and awards

Industry cert. track : Redhat, Suse, MYSQL, etc..

Awareness Articles to be published on periodic basis in the news papers

2010 2013 2015+

Colla

bora

tion w

ith H

E institu

tions

5- Deployment

Extended

Deployment

FOSSI ROADMAP

Utilize the Training & Testing Lab to develop FOSS

1- Awareness Program

FOSS Awareness - few figures

Workshops: More than 70 FOSS awareness sessions in different Sultanate regions.

Conferences: FOSSC Oman 2013, 2015 2017,…every 2-years jointly with CIRC-SQU.

www.fossc.om

OpenDVDs: Distributed >60K with >50 FOSS software during awareness sessions and initiatives ex: NPC.

FOSS Gateway (SQU hosted): mirror.squ.edu.om

FOSS Conference - 2013

2- Capacity Building

Capacity Building - (till end 2014)

Training Program Outcomes

Linux - Certifications Track:

LE -Linux Essentials Certification 62

LPIC-1 Junior Level Linux Certification 152

LPIC-2 Advanced Level Linux Certification 12

FOSS Technologies - None Cert. Track:

GIMP – Inkscape – PHP – Android – Joomla-Blender – Python-

WordPress 775

FOSS Training for School IT Teachers:

Ubuntu - OpenOffice – GIMP- Inkscape 159

Total: 1,160

3- FOSS Development

FOSS Labs

Singing 5 MoU’s with 5 educational institutes.

Establish 3 Labs for FOSS Development: (SQU, Middle East College, Nizwa University).

Future Labs: Sohar Applied Science College, Shinas College of Technology, Ibri Applied Science College.

FOSS Lab – SQU 2013

13

FOSS Lab – MEC 2015

Oman

SoC

Training, Competition & Business Development

Program.

- (Inspired from Google SoC).

Targeted Students, Job seekers, Employees

Objectives

1. Inspire young developers to participate in FOSS

solutions.

2. Encourage champions to think creative.

3. Focus on developing startups in most demanded

sectors such as Enterprise solutions & mobile apps.

4. Create and develop Omani product and IP.

Practice • Once a year (Summer)

Oman Summer of Code - (initiated 2013)2013

Oman Summer of Code Exhibition – (2013)

OSoC Outcomes - 2013 & 2014

Participations 2013 2014

Participations 40 50

Completed Projects 11 21

1- Awareness Program

2- Capacity Building

4- Tech. Support

3- FOSS Development

TTT: LPI (LPC1,LPC2 & LPC3) certification program for instructors

ITI: LPI (LPC1,LPC2 & LPC3) certification program for individuals

End users (Ubuntu & Liber office): TTT & individuals

Awareness workshops, seminars to be conducted regularly to different target group..

Fre

e O

pe

n S

ourc

e S

oftw

are

In

itia

tive

Encouraging R& D through TRC & SQU

Establishing a national support

mechanism to support deployment

in the public sector.

Distribute or Facilitate the access to the free software..

Website to promote awareness activities, news and operate as a

mirror server.

Establish Training & Testing Lab in each of the HEI

Conducting Competitions and awards

Industry cert. track : Redhat, Suse, MYSQL, etc..

Awareness Articles to be published on periodic basis in the news papers

2010 2013 2015+

Colla

bora

tion w

ith H

E institu

tions

5- Deployment

Extended

Deployment

FOSSI ROADMAP

Utilize the Training & Testing Lab to develop FOSS

FOSS Challenges

-Oman-

Challenges

Limited understanding of FOSS potential benefits at most sectors (Edu, Com, Gov, Private) – specially with Decision Makers.

IT managers in government have less confidence on FOSS

technology – due to limited FOSS skilled resources Due to less market demand, the IT commercial industry is not

in favor to produce FOSS based products & supporting solutions.

The Education system is not keen to diversify its IT curriculums.

FOSS Way Forward Directions

-Oman-

FOSS Way Forward

FOSS Framework (2016-2020):

CONTINUE jointing hands between ITA & SQU

-still not enough to overcome the challenges-

Policies, financial

& other support

in place

Demand

Customers

* Government

* Private Industry

Supply Suppliers

* Entrepreneurs

* Businesses

* Developers

* Experts

* Idea Providers

Inc

rea

se

Incre

ase

Product/ Solution

Maturity

* What products/ ideas

they have?

* How many successful

installations do they have?

* What is the level of

maturity of the business/

product/ solution?

Inc

rea

se

Suggested FOSS

Framework: 2016-2020

ITA & SQU

seeking support

from stakeholders

to collaborate

Thank You

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