BEIJING - The Chinese
Government should stick to its policy of strongly
supporting open-source software to build a robust
domestic industry, an industry veteran has said.
"Open-source software provides a big opportunity
for China to develop its fledgling software
industry," said Lu Shouqun, president of the China
Open Source Software Promotion Union.
Lu,
also a former senior government official, was
responding to a report released by the China
Software Industry Association (CSIA) in late
August which called for the government to review
its preference for open-source software. The
government's "excessive preference" for the
open-source Linux platform is harming the domestic
software industry, and Linux's business model is
flawed as the low, or no, charge is thwarting the
profitability of Linux
developers, the CSIA asserted in
the report.
In an exclusive interview with
China Daily, Lu said the government should
continue to help develop a "high-quality and
low-cost" operating system to offer users a choice
besides Windows to reduce reliance on Microsoft.
Many governments and enterprises including many
organizations in the United States are showing
increasing interest in the Linux platform, and
China should not miss the boat, said Lu.
Citing an executive at Microsoft
headquarters, Lu said Linux and Windows should
co-exist. Microsoft in recent years has been
struggling with an increasing number of security
flaws on its Windows platforms while Linux is
generally regarded as more secure. "For users,
openness increases the trustworthiness," said Lu.
Open-source software, because it is either
free or costs little, would find favor with small-
and medium-sized enterprises, which could help
break the monopoly of commercial software. "The
free, or low-charge, Linux scheme should be
continued with and even expanded to spur its
uptake," Lu said. Linux developers can profit from
value-added services provided to users, and the
business model is mature, he added.
Open-source software adopts the General
Public License (GPL) scheme, under which
developers only charge users for the costs and
services of the software, instead of licensing
fees. CSIA said the GPL scheme is thwarting the
profitability of Linux developers but "GPL is not
the only rule in the Linux market. Many people
have misunderstandings about Linux's business
models," said Lu. "Linux developers can generate
revenues from many ways."
Lu acknowledged
that China's Linux industry is highly fragmented
and most companies are small and unprofitable. "An
industry alliance needs to be formed to boost the
industry and profitability," he said. "An
international collaboration is also essential to
the success of Linux. Besides, Linux developers
need to seek support from major domestic users."
The CSIA has also warned that Linux
developers are facing increasing risks of patent
lawsuits, which could potentially snuff out Linux.
Lu said the Linux community has launched some
initiatives to prevent such risks. "Compared to
open-source software, commercial software faces
many more patent-related risks," he said.
The biggest bottleneck for the development
of Linux in China is the lack of a Linux
community, Lu noted. Globally, Linux fans and
engineers work in communities to develop, modify
and test Linux-based products and come up with
innovative solutions. In China, only enterprises
are working on Linux development "in a relatively
closed environment." If China manages to set up a
Linux community, it could take advantage of the
talents and resources of the global community to
better develop and promote Linux and foster
top-notch software developers, Lu said.
2005 'Golden Penguin' OSS software
competition a success Sun Wah Linux Limited
(Hong Kong) has announced the successful
completion of the 2005 Golden Penguin Greater
China Open Source Software Competition on October
14 in Hong Kong. The event was the largest
open-source software competition jointly organized
by mainland China, the Hong Kong SAR, the Macau
SAR and Taiwan. The event aimed to promote the
research and strategic development of new
software, and encourage the development and
establishment of open source software (OSS) in
Greater China.
The event was well received
by Linux enterprises and researchers in China, and
was supported by academic circles and
organizations alike. The competition has great
significance for software development in the
region, as it will help transform Linux, a
trademark of the entire OSS system, into a more
user-friendly and widely adopted platform.
About 150 pieces of software from Greater
China participated in this competition, all of
which are in active use. The competition gave
awards in three categories, namely the "Open
Source Software Product Application Award," the
"Open Source Software Innovative Development
Award" and an "Outstanding Contribution Award." A
panel of judges selected outstanding software
based on usefulness and design innovation. They
also gave awards to industry figures who have made
significant contributions to the industry.
Organizers arranged conferences for
participants, allowing them to exchange ideas.
During the conferences, professionals also had an
in-depth dialogue on the rapid development of open
source software in the PRC and on Taiwan.
