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ANDUNG: The Defense Ministry won this year’s Open-Source Award for its extensive use of open-source systems in its offices.

Initiated by the Communications and Information Technology Ministry, the Research and Technology Ministry and the Administrative Reforms Ministry, in conjunction with the Indonesian Open-Source Association, the award is aimed at promoting the use of free, open source software using the Linux operating system, among government offices.

Many government offices are dependent on expensive software.

The Defense Ministry was considered to have employed its best efforts in adopting the free operating system, including by conducting a series of short courses for all employees, and by making improvements to its open source-based system. — JP