PC Conectado

From OpenEGov

Connected-PC: Brasilian Government decides to go with Free Software

2005-04-05 By Rafael Godói

Source: Softwarelivre.org

The Federal Government has made its mind up, and will definitely use systems running on free software for its program to end the digital divide, 'Connected PC'[1]. The decision came out yesterday afternoon after the presentation of a modified version of Windows Starter Edition made by MS representatives. The system which had been rejected once already was once again considered insufficient to equip a million machines which will be sold at bargain prices.

The CEO of the National Institute for Information Technology (ITI), Sérgio Amadeu de Oliveira, was in the meeting. “The Connected-PC will definitely run on free software", he promises. After defining the system to be used, the government now needs to move towards finalizing negotiations with the Treasury. The negotiations involve the creation of subsidies for consumers and a reduction in interest rates. The original proposal foresaw the machines reaching the market with a sale price close to 1,400 Reais. The government would directly finance 200 reais of this, and the rest would be paid in up to 24 months, in instalments no greater than 50 reais. Among other sources of finance for the program would be the Workers Assistance Fund ('Fundo de Amaparo ao Trabalhador'), which further reduce the equipment cost. In total the Connected PC should generate more than 1.4 billion reais of transactions in the national IT market.

Translation: Graham Seaman, 2005-04-05.

[1] The Connected PC project is one of the four axes of the Brazilian Program for Digital Inclusion, in addition to the 'Our Home - Brazil' project for the reorienting of the technological infrastructure of the government and digital inclusion in schools. In Brazil today 79% of the population have never used a computer and 89% have never accessed the internet. Only 14.4% have regular access to a computer.

The main target of the program are families with an income of 3-10 times the minimum wage able to commit part of their budget to buying a computer, small businesses and microbusinessmen. The program consists of tax exemption for industrial participants and differential credit for consumers ...

Source: Softwarelivre.gov.br