1. http://www.eurotux.com Tel. 253 257 395 - Fax. 253 257 396 Rua de S. José, nº 100, 4710-311Braga Open Source and Open Standards in the Portuguese Business and Academic Environments António José Coutinho Universidade do Minho Eurotux – Informática, SA

2. 2 Network Society and the Knowledge Economy Proprietary Software Under the manufacturer's control Customer pays “user licenses” No access to the source code Can't be copied or distributed Natural tendency for monopolies Extremely costly to develop Marginal price is small, for each copy

3. 3 Network Society and the Knowledge Economy Free / Open Source Software Main characteristics Freedom to use, copy, modify and distribute Free access to the source code Developed by large number of volunteers Respects standards and interoperability Fast validation and error correction Dependability and durability Lower costs

4. 4 Network Society and the Knowledge Economy Free/Open Source Software Software as a service, not a product Empowers the customer Strengthens professional qualifications Creates opportunities for small and medium technological companies Reduces costs

5. 5 Network Society and the Knowledge Economy Main Threats Technological / market power threats Limited interoperability Closed protocols and formats Legal / political threats Software patents I.P. Protection “collateral damage” Vendor-biased procurement/education policies

6. 6 Network Society and the Knowledge Economy Portuguese Environment Small software industry Mostly in country specific areas (accounting...) Almost no mass-market software Most companies simply resell software Low value-added services High barriers of entry Small market size Language

7. 7 Network Society and the Knowledge Economy F/OSS Opportunities Customers shift reliance from distant large companies to small local companies Opportunities for service-based companies Allows programmers to contribute to global f/oss software Creates scope for specific projects (e.g. Linux Caixa Mágica) A chance for Portugal to overcome its lag

8. 8 Network Society and the Knowledge Economy Case Studies (personal experience) University of Minho Early adopter Flexibility / empowerment Eurotux SA Linux-related services and consulting AEIOU, SA Final user