Open Source Competency Centre (OSCC)

The OSCC (Open Source Competency Center) is a result of Malaysian Government's initiative to implement open source software (OSS) technologies in the Malaysian Government Agencies and in support of the Malaysian Public Sector Open Source Software Program. MAMPU, as a main government body to enhance the quality, efficiency, effectiveness and integrity of the Malaysian Civil Service [http://www.mampu.gov.my/mampu/sepintas] , has been given the responsibility to lead this effort. Master Plans have been produced and endorsed by the government to provide road maps for its the adoption and implementation.

Phase I (Laying Foundation & Early Adoption) of the program has been successfully completed and now it is Phase II (Accelerated Adoption). Phase III (Self-Reliance) is anticipated to begin in 2010 - 2012, 2 - 5 years from 2007 where Phase II was launched.

Master Plans

The master plans are documents to provide road maps for the adoption of OSS technologies within the public sector to assist in delivery of services. Two master plans were published to date, namely Master Plan Phase I and Master Plan Phase II.

Services

OSCC is the single point of reference on open source software for the government body in Malaysia. The aim of the OSCC is to guide, facilitate, coordinate and monitor implementation of OSS in the public sector. Services offered by OSCC through collaborative smart partnership involving the public and private sector includes training technical support, research and development. It also provides policies, guidelines, awareness, promotions and a knowledge bank in creating and enhancing the value of using OSS within the public sector ICT framework in providing efficient, secure and quality services.

The functional services of OSCC are:
* Technical support
* Research & Development
* Policies & Guidelines
* Promotion & Awareness
* Certification Body
* Communication & Collaboration
* Training

Two new functional services have been introduced in Phase II, namely Certification Body and Communication & Collaboration.

Products and Publications

Under OSCC, many open source products have been launched tailored to public sector needs and to provide alternatives to many existing products in the market today. Research and development efforts also have been focusing on leveraging open source technologies to meet the program's objectives. Products by OSCC:
* MySpamGuard
* MyNetWatch
* MyMeeting
* MySurfGuard
* MyWorkspace
* OSS Development Toolkit

Policies and standards have been outlined by OSCC to act as a guideline to the public sector agencies in order to adopt OSS technologies. These include:
* The Malaysian Government Interoperability Framework for Open Source Software (MyGIFOSS)
* The Malaysian Government Interoperability Framework (MyGIF)
* OSS Implementation Guidelines
* Web Application Guidelines
* OSS Reference Architecture

MyGOSSCON

OSCC holds various events, workshops and seminars to promote and assist the usage of OSS within the public sector. The highlight of the year is the The Malaysian Government Open Source Software Conference (MyGOSSCON) that takes place annually since 2007. Many keynote speakers were invited, from local and international alike, to give talks on various open source technology topics. Attendees of the conference include high level & IT personnels of over 370 public sector agencies, Non-Government Organization (NGO) personnels and representatives of public universities throughout of the country.

External Links

* [http://www.oscc.org.my Malaysian Public Sector Open Source Software Program]
* [http://knowledge.oscc.org.my OSCC Knowledge Bank]
* [http://mygosscon.oscc.org.my MyGOSSCON Portal]

References

* OSCC, MAMPU (2007). "The Malaysian Public Sector Open Source Software Master Plan Phase II"
* OSCC, MAMPU (2005). "The Malaysian Public Sector Open Source Software Master Plan"

Footnotes