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OpenOffice is one of open source softwares paid much attention. |
The issue of open source software and copyright violation has attracted the great concern. The Ministry of Science and Technology emphasized that the use of open source office is a solution for the copyright violation. Using open source office, therefore, can be considered as an effective, long-term, and top solution for the IP system in Vietnam.
Strong determination
The tendency is now popular worldwide in the integration period. Many open source communities have been born and quickly developed as the users' awareness is improved. 2007 is the year of the development of open source software which has been widely used as a part of an economy drive.
Party agencies have selected the open standard and decided to use the open source office. The Party Central Committee's Office will then no longer use Microsoft Office. And as planned, more than 20,000 computers used at Party agencies nationwide will replace Microsoft Office software with OpenOffice open source office software in 2008, according to Hoang Quoc Tuan, head of the secretariat of IT Steering Board for Party agencies.
Cost savings is only one of the reasons for this change. The major target of the replacement is to improve the ability of the Vietnamese IT circle because the use of open source products like OpenOffice will create a new market for Vietnamese IT companies.
The OpenOffice, developed by volunteers worldwide, includes many versions with different languages. All are absolutely free and appropriate with other office tools like Microsoft Office. Also, it can well run with different operating systems.
The difficulties for the replacement are changing the habits of users and the human resource for open source software.
The IT Steering Board under Binh Dinh provincial Committee of the Party steered the use of open source software at provincial Party agencies. Under the plan, the staff has been trained and the open source software has being installed to all computers. The plan is expected to complete by the first quarter of 2008.
Choice of bodies and localities
The Government has instructed State bodies to use legal software. Enterprises and organisations have started using open source software, such as Khanh Hoa Department of Post and Telecommunications, and Departments of Post and Telecommunications, Science and Technology, and Trade in HCM City are getting the trial use of OpenOffice.
The Ministry of Education and Training has recently sent the official dispatch requesting colleges and universities nationwide to use OpenOffice in teaching and management. The dispatch said that the features of OpenOffice such as Writer, Spreadsheet, Draw, Presentation, and Base could fulfill requirements in teaching.
Support of functional bodies and experts
To help individuals and organisations using open source software, the Ministry of Information and Communications set up the Consultative Council to find out suitable softwares purchased by using funds from the State budgets. The Ministry of Information and Communications plan to trial other open source operating system and applications.
There have been some enterprises providing services for open source softwares like iDesk open source software provided by iNet Solutions Company. Nhat Vinh Software Co., Ltd started providing services for the change from Microsoft Office to OpenOffice.
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