The debate surrounding open source never seems to end. When news that the Association of Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia (PIKOM) is reviewing its open source software (OSS) position first became public last year during the Global Public Policy Conference 2005 (GPPC), it immediately drew criticisms from industry observers. Tongues were wagging that PIKOM, the local computer industry body, may desire to take a softer stand on the promotion of open source software. After all, about 70% from among its 530 members mostly sell or distribute commercial or closed source software, the anti-thesis of open source software.
`Open Source is a business, not a religion,' says Lee Boon Kok, chairman, Association of Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia (PIKOM). According to Lee, who is also the managing director of KE Systems Sdn Bhd, PIKOM's move last to review its 2001 OSS Whitepaper is aimed at updating its contents, in line with recent trends and emerging technologies in the open source arena.
But critics aren't happy. Some even went as far as saying that PIKOM may have been under pressure from software big boys for helping to elevate OSS to the same level of commercial software.
PIKOM refutes these criticisms. According to Lee, the decision to review the Whitepaper was at the request of some of its members. `There was a request from members (to review the Whitepaper). The OSS Whitepaper was produced in 2001 in response to emerging trends in open source software. At that time, not many people know what open source is all about. So we decided to produce a Whitepaper to help the Government draft its Open Source Policy,' Lee explains.
In 2001, PIKOM both drew wide applause from the ICT industry when it revealed its ground breaking OSS Whitepaper.
`The stuff that PIKOM did was not an Open Source Policy. Rather it was a Whitepaper on open source software, covering what it is, common myths and realities, and why it is important that the country support it,' says Dr Nah Soo Hoe, a well known local open source backer. `There is a need to review the Whitepaper now as it is a few years old. There is a need to update it to reflect new developments,' he explains.
PIKOM has formed a special task force committee, charged with reviewing the OSS Whitepaper, headed by PIKOM OSS Special Interest Group chairman, Stan Singh, who is also the vice-president of MUI dotCom Sdn Bhd.
Although both Lee and Stan agree that open source trends are changing, which necessitates the review of the Whitepaper, they declined to comment on what specific changes in the Whitepaper they will be deliberating in the committee. `We are still in the process (of reviewing). It will be premature to say what exactly will be reviewed,' says Stan. However, he admitted that the 2001 Whitepaper is being reviewed in its entirety.
Despite this, Lee acknowledged that PIKOM may change its stand on OSS, as per the 2001 whitepaper. `Our current position on OSS has not changed. But we may change our position if the task force committee recommends it. But it also depends on the (final) approval from PIKOM's council,' says Lee explaining that decisions are taken on a consensus basis in the council.
Primer on Open Source
Software development industry is mostly divided into two camps: open source software and closed source software (sometimes referred to as commercial software or proprietary software) . OSS allows users to freely view the codes used to develop a software application, while closed source software keeps its source code under wraps.
OSS is not a new development. The TCP/IP software, a 30-year old open source software, is the foundation of today's Internet. OSS are not controlled by any individual or company, but are maintained by dedicated group of programmers spanning the globe, whose goal is to create innovative and open software.
OSS are governed by free-to-use licensing agreements which has several incarnations. The mostly popular are the GNU General Public License (GPL) and the FreeBSD license. The former permits users to use its software and modifications to be freely made. However all software that are modified, must also be made open source. FreeBSD, on the other hand, license regime states that users are free to make modifications of OSS and the resultant modified software need not be made open source software. Thus, OSS also have the potential to transform into a closed source software, but rarely vice versa.
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