The government will review the possibility of cooperating with PT Microsoft Indonesia in terms of software legalization process in all governmental institutions.

This is because Microsoft is currently marketing cheap software, priced at US$3 or around Rp27,000 each.

Cahyana Ahmadjayadi, Director General of Telematics Applications at the Information and Communication Department, said the review would not reduce the government's concern regarding open source software.

The reason for this, he said, was that the software procurement process will still be carried out transparently or in accordance with regulations, which includes through the tender mechanism.

Yet, the government must give equal treatment and opportunities to all software vendors.

Thus, the government cannot guarantee the software to be used will be open source-based.

This is because the government's task is to create conducive situation in competition.

“Let all players (software vendors) join in. The winner can be anybody. We're also waiting for the offer from Microsoft,” said Cahyana in Jakarta, yesterday (26/6).

When asked for confirmation about the plan, Tony Chen—Microsoft Indonesia's President Director—welcomed the government's response and will soon carry out a dialog.

“We've proposed a request to meet with the Information and Communication Minister. Now we're waiting for the answer,” said Tony.

However, Tony stressed the software will only supplied for the education sector and not for all of the government's computers.

Tony said he hoped that Microsoft was not obliged to go through the regulation of goods procurement by tender. According to Kemal Stamboel, Head of National Technology Council, the cooperation review is very likely bearing in mind that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) made earlier by the government and Microsoft Indonesia had not been dropped.

“Only the approach paradigm is different,” he said.
This means, software procurement in government's institutions used to be carried out centrally.

But now it is carried out by each institution and the procedures are made by the National Technology Council. The procedures are being completed and are estimated to be finished during the next three months at the very latest.

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tempo

Labels: Indonesia, Internet News, Microsoft, Money, People, Software