World Bank Report on Open Source Software: Prespectives for Development

The World Bank issued a report in 2004 on Open Source Software: Perspectives for Development. The report addressed questions such as – What opportunities, and challenges, are posed for developing countries by the dramatic growth of open source software? How can developing country policy makers and other key stakeholders make informed decisions about the benefits, costs and implications of choosing open source solutions?

The report on Open Source Software was prepared by The Dravis Group for the World Bank. It provides international agencies and governments some instructive guidelines on the use of Open Source and how best to tie them in with an existing base of commercial software products. It also includes advice for how IT-constrained foreign firms might further explore Open Source options. To read the complete report, go to www.infodev.org/en/Publication.21.html