Chair of Slovak OpenSource Initiative outlines vision

The Slovak OpenSource Initiative (SKOSI) was founded to create and support free and open source software(FOSS) and free multi-platform infrastructure solutions in the SlovakRepublic, as well as to support FOSS integration into education and thegovernment sectors. SKOSI’s goals, as outlined by Husár, includesetting up an open source academy, FOSS schools across the country,networking between different FOSS projects, and getting Slovakiainvolved in various EU-backed projects. In August 2006, SKOSI started to co-operate withthe Bratislava School of Economics, where it is helping set up the OpenSource Room of Excellence (teaching OpenOffice, Linux, applicationdevelopment, system administration, etc.). It is also working on theOpenClassroom, which is a PC laboratory based on open source freesoftware designed for teaching various subjects at high schools – thefirst one is the Júra Hronca Grammar School in Bratislava. InSeptember, SKOSI is planning SoftwareFreedomDay.org: an effort toinform the public of the benefits and availability of free open sourcesoftware. In the future, SKOSI wants to shift its focus backto public administrations and authorities. For Husár, success will bewhen 30% of all software used in Slovakia is open source. Towards thatend, SKOSI has gathered a groups of experts from schools, business,science and law to help with the current projects.  - zdroj -