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January 27, 2009
There are some rumors since late yesterday that Russia might be planning to develop its own national
operating system. These rumors have not been confirmed however, but OS Today thinks we should still
write about it.
If it is true, Russia's new initiative would probably be designed to reduce the country's reliance on
foreign software and licensing agreements. One name we can think of here would be Microsoft...
Most likely an open source solution such as a Linux/GNU derivative, the idea would give Russia a greater
degree of overall flexibility and customization, as well as increased control over how the potentially free
operating system would be used and accessed by its users.
In the recent past, Russia has tackled with the idea of widespread open-source software distribution, but
never really pushed it in a serious way.
However, and according to Russia Today, a nation-wide pilot program is already under way in three Russian
regions to replace Microsoft-branded operating systems in schools with Linux alternatives. All Russian schools are expected to make the software
switch sometime in 2009, according to Russian leaders.
If all of this is true, you can expect Russia's transition to open source to please the global Linux community!
However, will it help to increase the U.S. adoption of the Linux operating system?
Of course, the current serious economic turmoil happening everywhere since mid-October of last year could
certainly accelerate this trend even more.
An initiative such as that aimed at increasing Linux adoption in U.S. academic institutions signed
up more than 3,000 interested schools between September and December of last year. That's actually
more than 20,000 new open-source desktops across 29 U.S. states.
It's nothing to sneeze at...
Source: Russia Today.
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