On Fri, 4 Jan 2002, Migs Paraz wrote:
> Here's another way to develop local free software, in a possibly more useful > way. This is using free software to solve Pinoy problems such as computation. I was M.S. thesis adviser for an Ateneo graduate student who finished a year ago. She works for National Power Corporation, and her thesis involves writing an MS Access front end and a (Linux+lp_solve) computational back end to optimally schedule NPCs power generating plants. She took all the constraints into her problem, including the need to support irrigation while deploying cheap hydro power, the need to meet contractual obligations to private power generators commissioned during the Ramos admin, etc. The MS Access front end was used only for its user-friendly data entry capabilities with which the NPC employees were familiar. The open source computational back end (lp_solve) was free, and did the job more quickly than the existing commercial software (cost NPC millions) which NPC could not get to work anyway. By using historical data (one month old), comparing what NPC actually scheduled and what lp_solve recommended as optimal, lp_solve could save NPC several million pesos per day, or several billion pesos a year. I was excited by her results, but up to now, I do not think that her open source solution has been deployed by NPC. I think she does not have enough political clout in NPC, and there are non-optimal factors that come into play here (corruptuion in the admin?) Copies of her thesis should be available at both Rizal Library and the AITI Library at Ateneo Salcedo. Pablo Manalastas P.S. Open source might not be a sufficient solution -- political will, morality in office, and genuine concern for the people are also necessary. _ Philippine Linux Users Group. Web site and archives at http://plug.linux.org.ph To leave: send "unsubscribe" in the body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to the Linux Newbies' List: send "subscribe" in the body to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
