OPEN SOURCE: THE NEXT BIG THING IN TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER TO DEVELOPING NATIONS JAMIL ALKHATIB : Handasa Arabia MOHAB ANIS : ECE Dept., University of Waterloo HAMID NOORI : School of Business and Economics, Wilfrid Laurier University

Outline Introduction Technology Transfer (TT) in Developing Nations Free Open Source (FOS) FOS TT vs. other TT Approaches Advantages of FOS TT to Developing Nations

Introduction

Technology Transfer (TT) in Developing Nations

Free Open Source (FOS)

FOS TT vs. other TT Approaches

Advantages of FOS TT to Developing Nations

Tech. Transfer Problems in Developing Nations Asymmetric Information Dilemma Market Power and incentive demands Free Movement of People Intellectual property rights No focus on customization for local needs Absence of investment in Technology Current main TT approaches: Machinery purchasing No customization to the local needs

Asymmetric Information Dilemma

Market Power and incentive demands

Free Movement of People

Intellectual property rights

No focus on customization for local needs

Absence of investment in Technology

Current main TT approaches:

Machinery purchasing

No customization to the local needs

Technology Transfer Market A substantial part of technology transfer occurs outside the technology transfer market itself. That is technical knowledge spreads internationally by noncommercial forms means, and it may even be transmitted free of charge . (UNIDO, 1996)

Free Open Source The source code must be freely available Free to use for any purpose Free to modify and to customize Free to redistribute Free to create derivative work Free to join the development and cooperation Applied to Software, Contents, Hardware and Courses

The source code must be freely available

Free to use for any purpose

Free to modify and to customize

Free to redistribute

Free to create derivative work

Free to join the development and cooperation

Applied to Software, Contents, Hardware and Courses

Effective Technology Transfer Diffusion of technology and knowledge through human activities Direct communication between the technology developers and users Communication channel is not affected by noise caused from legal issues

Diffusion of technology and knowledge through human activities

Direct communication between the technology developers and users

Communication channel is not affected by noise caused from legal issues

TT Approaches Comparison

FOS TT for Developing Nations Cost advantage low adoption costs low technology acquisition costs low technology development costs No IP Rights Barriers Availability of Information with recognition Better utilization of Expatriates No Bureaucracy Barriers for Adoption & Planning

Cost advantage

low adoption costs

low technology acquisition costs

low technology development costs

No IP Rights Barriers

Availability of Information with recognition

Better utilization of Expatriates

No Bureaucracy Barriers for Adoption & Planning

Recommendations Governments must define policies and plans to support the introduction of FOS concepts Give it to the community and leave it decide how it will go on

Governments must define policies and plans to support the introduction of FOS concepts

Give it to the community and leave it decide how it will go on

Thank you

Incentives Social Factors (Intrinsic) Knowledge sharing Satisfaction of achieving something valuable Professional reputation and recognition among peers Learning and improving personal skills Group problem solving Challenge proprietary software Sense of belonging to the community Enjoyment of developing projects Economic Factors (Extrinsic) Control the costs of software licensing and upgrades Control and increase the access to intellectual properties Reduce the reliance on proprietary software Promote software use in the public sectors Open Source Business Models

Social Factors (Intrinsic)

Knowledge sharing

Satisfaction of achieving something valuable

Professional reputation and recognition among peers

Learning and improving personal skills

Group problem solving

Challenge proprietary software

Sense of belonging to the community

Enjoyment of developing projects

Economic Factors (Extrinsic)

Control the costs of software licensing and upgrades

Control and increase the access to intellectual properties

Reduce the reliance on proprietary software

Promote software use in the public sectors

Open Source Business Models