Event to discuss role of free and open source software in entrepreneurship

MUSCAT: The Ministry of Information and Technology is set to organise the 10th session of Shurkum under the title ‘The role of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in enhancing entrepreneurship’. The session will be held in Sas Centre for Mobile Apps Development in Knowledge Oasis, Muscat on Sunday, December 29 from 10:30am to 12:30pm.

The session will cover a variety of topics like the actual utilisation of FOSS in Oman and its influence on the economy, education and entrepreneurship. Another topic discusses the challenges facing individuals and organisations that want to benefit FOSS in Oman.

FOSS utilisation

The session will also discuss enabling FOSS utilisation in the Omani market and the relation between FOSS and Open Data. This session targets different audiences like interested government entities, private organisations aiming to develop their business and different members of the public.

eParticipation

It is worth to mention that Shurkum is an initiative that was implemented by the Ministry of Technology and Communications in 2014 to reinforce community eParticipation in the projects that the ministry carries out. The initiative aims to achieve interaction between the Ministry and different segments of the society to listen to their opinions to achieve more transparency and positive effective participation, thus improving the projects, initiatives and policies of the ministry.

Open discussion

The initiative started with open discussion sessions through which the ministry’s top management meets face-to-face with the different target groups of the community to take the public’s opinions and suggestions. All suggestions and proposals are gathered to be presented to the management and based on which they take the appropriate decisions.