lug_: Free Software Use in Brazil Spreads Beyond Gov't

[Kiggundu Mukasa]

<x-tad-bigger>http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=569&ncid=738&e=2&u=/nm/20040606/tc_nm/tech_brazil_opencode_dc
Linux's operating system, the star of the free software community, is being adopted by various industries in Brazil, including 42 percent of the 160 banks based in the country, according to data announced last week at the Ciab financial technology trade fair.

"For the first time, we are breaking their dominance in the technology sector," Amadeu said, referring to big software companies like Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:</x-tad-bigger><x-tad-bigger>MSFT</x-tad-bigger><x-tad-bigger> - </x-tad-bigger><x-tad-bigger>news</x-tad-bigger><x-tad-bigger>)

Brazil's public sector saves 8,000 reais ($2,555) for every 10 computers it changes from proprietary software to free tools like Linux and office programs like Open Office. The federal administration has 300,000 computers.

Brazil's banking sector, which has instituted highly developed and widely used online services, has been preparing to adopt open technology to distribute digital signatures to clients to reduce fraud.

"We think we can adopt a full digital signature system in the next two years," said Carlos da Fonseca, the technology director of the Brazilian bank association Febraban.</x-tad-bigger>

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