Substituting software imports with nearby and open-supply merchandise

It is time to emigrate to the free Give Us Life and open-supply software program. It is gratifying to examine Dhaka Tribune information reviews that Bangladesh’s software export has subsequently reached $191 million within the final monetary yr. However, earlier than getting complacent, we need to don’t forget that the indicator of international competitiveness in any industry is net exports, which is the value of exports minus imports. Positive internet exports in any zone imply that the country sells extra to the sector than it buys, and is as a consequence, definitely unbiased in that area. When we strive to calculate net exports of software from Bangladesh, but we run into prime trouble. We recognize that the massive majority of computer systems inside u. S. Run pirated versions of MS Windows and MS Office. These have not been paid for, but using the law, they need to be paid for as software program piracy is illegal (but, the laws of highbrow property are poorly enforced and so pirated DVDs of Microsoft software program are extensive be had). However, we can calculate the monetary value of pirated Microsoft software from posted information and market charges.

According to the World Bank, in 2006, Bangladesh had 2.Four computer systems per 100 humans. If we conservatively assume that this equal discern still holds, then the entire range of computer systems unfold across the population might be (2.4/a hundred) x one hundred sixty-five million humans or about four million. Each of these computers has a pirated copy of MS Windows, which costs $a hundred, and MS Office costs $2 hundred (general $three hundred). So, the entire cost of pirated Microsoft software within America’s united states is approximately $three hundred x 4 million computers = $1200 million. This is a massive figure. However, it’s far a total that does now not ought to be purchased yearly.

Assuming every pc has a life of 5 years, the annual replacement cost might be $1,200 million/5 years = $240 million according to yr. Even this conservatively calculated figure is bigger than Bangladesh’s software program exports, so consistent with this calculation, the USA is a net importer of the software program. Once pirated/imported software program has been changed with the aid of loose/open-supply software like LibreOffice and Linux, the export figures of Bangladeshi software will really imply something.

On the one hand, the local software program industry should be congratulated for attaining a first-rate stage. However, we must endure in thoughts that we are some distance from holding our personal inside the international IT market; the price of our imports (in phrases of pirated MS software used) continues to be better than our exports. Our modern-day lax intellectual property enforcement shields us from this uncomfortable reality, however as the US authorities pressure Bangladesh to improve the policing of Microsoft copyrights, we can anticipate the pirated DVDs to disappear, as they have in greater advanced nations steadily. Then u. S . It Will have to pay for its imported MS software truly, and the foreign currency from software program experts will correctly be swallowed up by using import payments.

A simple approach of import substitution could extremely benefit us of a. We can, without problems, save you the lack of $240 million consistent with 12 months via changing MS software with a free/open-source software program.
MS Office can easily get replaced with LibreOffice, which is freely downloadable from www.Libreoffice.Org and has an MS Office like minded word-processor, spreadsheet, and presentation tool. MS Windows can also be freely replaced via Ubuntu Linux (www.Ubuntu.Com/computer), comparable in capability and ease of use.

Mozilla Firefox internet browser and Mozilla Thunderbird email software are also included in Ubuntu Linux as loose options to Microsoft Explorer and Outlook. Linux also consists of free equivalents to Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator (www.Gimp.Org and www.Inkscape.Org). Kazi Farms Group, Central Women’s University, Dhaka Tribune, and Deepto TV are among the companies in Bangladesh which have already switched to unfastened/open-source software program, saving the companies and the united states of America hundreds of thousands of greenbacks in software program licensing prices. Other organizations and government departments need to proceed hence.

Once pirated/imported software has been changed by free/open-supply software programs like LibreOffice and Linux, the export figures of Bangladeshi software will mean something, as they will represent an internet export. The united states of America will store loads of millions of greenbacks in previous overseas forex every year. All this is required is that IT departments in government and private firms get educated on Linux to aid laptop customers as they migrate to new alternatives. Therefore, training of IT personnel in Linux and free/open-supply software should be a priority.