Abstract
The cost of licensing proprietary or Closed Source Software (CSS) can be prohibitively high for Economically Developing Countries (EDCs). In contrast, Open Source Software (OSS), which is free of charge, is often touted as a panacea for bridging the digital divide between EDCs and industrialized nations. This paper reviews the literature to identify determinant factors for OSS adoption in industrialized nations and identifies OSS adoption differences between EDCs and industrialized nations using three case studies from Ethiopia. The paper concludes that while the OSS movement holds potential for EDCs, the determinant factors for its adoption are different from those in industrialized nations; if the potential of OSS is to be realized for EDCs, further study is needed to understand the full extent of these differences.
Recommended Citation
Negash, Solomon; Carter, Michelle S.; Chen, Charlie C.; and Wilcox, Marlene V., "Open Source Software for Economically Developing Countries: A Free IT Solution for Success " (2007). SAIS 2007 Proceedings. 33.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/sais2007/33