Present a Global Dialogue on: Wednesday, May 02, 2007: 9:00-11:30 am EST Location: I1-200 (1850, I Street NW, Washington DC) & Webcast 
Speakers Piper Cole, Vice President, Global Public Policy & Government Affairs, Sun Microsystems John M. Weathersby, Jr, Executive Director, Open Source Software Institute Stuart McKee , National Technology Officer, U.S Public Sector, Microsoft Corporation Marino Marcich , Managing Director, OpenDocument Format Alliance Discussant David Satola, Senior Counsel, Legal Department, World Bank Jeff Kaplan, Founder & Director, Open ePolicy Group, Center for Internet & Society, Stanford Law School Andy Stein, Director of Information Technology, City of Newport News, Virginia e-TG Co-Chair Bruno Lanvin, Senior Advisor, GICT, World Bank Event Chair Randeep Sudan, Senior ICT Specialist, CITPO, GICT, World Bank
Watch Again Real Media Windows Media (4th Page) Program Description While open source software has achieved growing acceptance in the marketplace, open standards are also increasingly seen as key enablers of the transfer and use of information across organizations, systems, and devices. Now an open standard for document formats, ODF, has emerged that promises to deliver greater access, choice and innovation among office suites. This seminar focuses on the embrace of “open” information and communications technology systems by governments and businesses alike in the face of growing demands for the effective, customer-centric delivery of services. What does “open” mean in the context of software, standards, and document formats, and is it relevant to the experience and challenges faced by developing and transition countries? Can open source, open standards, and ODF be leveraged to maximize the impact of ICT investments in public-sector reform and modernization efforts? How should the World Bank approach ICT “openness” in its operations? Open source and open standards are frequently confused. Open source is a type of software defined by its collaborative development, accessibility of code and distribution model. Thousands of software developers will collaborate in communities to share knowledge and create technology for the common good. This model has proven adept at driving competition, lowering prices, and forcing market leaders to innovate, clone, or find new businesses. Open standards are the “beams and mortar” that allow different systems, platforms, and devices to communicate, and are at the very core of the new “open” architectures. Like open source, open standards result from a collaborative process where no one individual or entity controls the standard, and are available to all generally free of cost with no royalty or fee. Vendors may create either open source or proprietary software conforming to an open standard. Open standards provide choice and interoperability between systems. The Internet, based largely on the framework of the TCP/IP and HTML standards, is a strong example of open standards-driven innovation. ODF is an example of an open standard. ODF is an XML-based document file format for displaying, storing and editing office documents, such as spreadsheets, charts, and presentations. In May 2006, it was approved unanimously as an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard. As an XML-based standard, it addresses the need for the data in documents to be created and exchanged on different platforms and systems. A growing number of governments across the globe are making policy decisions to move to ODF http://www.odfalliance.org/resources/GlobalViewODFPolicy.pdf). A variety of applications are in the market today supporting ODF. A complete list can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_applications_supporting_OpenDocument The motivations behind the move to openness vary. For some it is economic (efficiency, innovation, growth), while for others it is social development or political. Our speakers will examine the relevance and promise of “open ICT” to developing and transition countries. For background information, including a list of recommended readings, see: http://www.worldbank.org/edevelopment/ The event will be webcast for Country Offices and remote audiences Live Webcast / e-Discussion and archived videoclip will available at: http://www.worldbank.org/edevelopment/live For background information, including a list of recommended readings see: http://www.worldbank.org/edevelopment/ Participants from outside the Bank do NOT need a building pass for this seminar and no prior registration is needed for the webcast, but feel free to RSVP and to forward and invite others! For further information on the seminar or to join our mailing list, please write to edevelopment@worldbank.org or contact Oleg Petrov at 202-473-8861 The e-Development Thematic Group is powered by GICT and ISG in collaboration with WBI, PREM and other partners. Visit us at http://www.worldbank.org/edevelopmentto download materials for this and all previous e-development seminars (over 75 since Sept 2003). |
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