Abstract
Computing practices in developing countries can be complex. At the same time, open source software OSS) impacts developing countries in various ways. This chapter examines the social and economic impacts of OSS on three such nations: China, South Korea, and India. In so doing, the chapter discusses and analyzes benefi ts as well as downsides of the social, political, and fi nancial impacts on these developing countries. Topics covered in this chapter are piracy, software licensing, software initiatives, and political components involved in OSS implementation, and software compatibility issues.
Key Terms in this Chapter
ICT: Information and communication technology.
IDC: International Data Corporation.
Collaborative Technologies: Combination of hardware and communications technologies that allow linkage among thousands of people and businesses to form or dissolve anytime, anywhere.
Linupy: Linux-based OSS.
CCIDNET: An online service provider, China’s IT portal.
GDP: Gross domestic product.
Convergent Technologies: The combination of several industries, (i.e., communications, entertainment, and mass media) to exchange data in a computerized format.