FLOSS News

A two-part documentary, The Codebreakers was aired on BBC World TV during May 2006. It investigates how poor countries are using FOSS applications for development, and includes stories and interviews from around the world. A 40-minute version of The Codebreakers is now available for free download online.

This e-primer walks its readers through the vision and value of e-government interoperability and the steps required to achieve effective interoperability. It also answers some fundamental questions such as why government interoperability frameworks should be developed; who should be involved; how are they produced and revised; and what are the key factors for their successful development and operationalization.

A new series of three publications recommends roadmap for e-government interoperability, baseed on flexible, universally compatible technologies for good governance and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

This publication, with a foreword by Executive Director of UNIFEM, Noeleen Heyzer, looks at information and communications technology (ICT) for development through a gender lens and discusses ICT within a gender equality framework.

This APDIP e-Note provides an overview of the benefits and challenges of some of the most used e-Health tools. Important lessons learned in e-Health in the Asia-Pacific region are highlighted through three case studies from Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand. The APDIP e-Note also examines different approaches to e-Health, such as the use of free and open source software and the relationship between e-Health and the Millennium Development Goals. Finally, considerations for policy makers are discussed.

This APDIP e-Note describes a methodology to identify ‘killer’ applications and models of e-governance that may be suitable for deployment and wide-scale replication in telecentres throughout the Philippines. The same methodology can be used to guide other telecentres around the world.

This APDIP e-Note intends to give a brief introduction to government interoperability frameworks (GIFs), explain how they are classified and provide details of their common features. It also discusses the importance of open standards in GIFs and why governments should consider open standards seriously when designing or evaluating their GIFs.

This e-primer introduces policy makers and development practitioners to the application of different information and communication technologies (ICTs) in disaster management.

The affordability of FOSS and its openness to modification and localization is contributing to the sustainbility of telecentres, and more broadly, to empowered communities and poverty reduction. This APDIP e-Note explores the benefits of using FOSS applications in telecentres with case studies from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Brazil, Egypt and Sub-Saharan Africa.

This APDIP e-Note introduces the concept of pro-poor e-governance; gives two examples of e-governance projects targeted at poor and vulnerable groups; and provides a comprehensive approach to pro-poor e-governance comprised of seven building blocks.

Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) have become a hot topic in the field of Internet governance. As the number of non-English speakers on the Internet grows exponentially, the limitations of the Domain Name System have become evident to many.

This APDIP e-Note looks at how e-government can help fight corruption; gives two well-known examples from the Republic of Korea and India where e-government has successfully helped to fight corruption; and discusses the challenges in designing and implementing similar programmes.

Out Now: APDIP e-Note 7 - Open Technologies: Catalyst for Transformation

Out Now: APDIP e-Note 6 - ICT for Poverty Reduction: Necessary but Insufficient

This APDIP e-note examines the treatment of information and communication technologies in Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) of Asia-Pacific countries. PRSPs serve as a good starting point because they direct the focus of World Bank and International Monetary Fund concessional lending.