Software billionaire and Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth says SA is well placed to lead the open source software explosion.
Delivering the keynote address at SA`s first annual LinuxWorld conference in Sandton this morning, Shuttleworth said: "There is an opportunity for SA to lead the open source explosion, as we are a combination of first and third world, with various cultures, so we can understand and reach various markets."
Shuttleworth was as upbeat as always about the adoption of open source, saying the time for open source had come - not only in SA, but globally.
"In around five years time, those who just use computers rather than those who love them are going to wonder how open source came from nowhere to being so big. They will wonder how the industry took such a big shift. The truth is this change has been taking place for some time, it`s just not really visible from the outside."
He highlighted the need for open source developers to find a balance between simplicity and complexity. "It needs to be simple enough to remove user fears and ensure greater uptake, but complex enough to allow those with the skills to be as creative as they want to be, because creativity and innovation is one of the key points of open source."
He said his organisation is leaning towards simplicity to increase uptake.
The LinuxWorld conference and exhibition kicked off at the Sandton Convention Centre today, alongside Futurex 2005. The keynote speaker tomorrow is Jon 'Maddog` Hall, director of Linux International.
The conference will also feature presentations from a number of key players in the local open source industry, while several companies are using the event to showcase new offerings, including Red Hat Linux and Obsidian Systems. Tomorrow`s keynote address
Oracle South Africa will also host a Linux and Java 'installfest` that will allow developers to install the Oracle JDeveloper development toolset on Linux onto their own PCs at no cost.
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