How are open standards and open source operating systems like Linux important to a developing country like Brazil?
Scott Handy: One thing they want to do, and a strong part of their focus, is to use these [open standards] to accelerate economic development. So by gaining in something open source, in something freely modifiable and moveable for technology, they can develop business around this, train people in this technology and then get skilled work in this technology. They will have freedom to innovate. [They’re] not locked into any one vendor; it’s flexible and free of choice. How does Brazil compare to other nations outside North American as a growth market for Linux? Handy: Worldwide, the general rule is Linux is growing faster than any other operating system, has been for the past five years and has been projected to outpace anything else to 2008 — as far as IDC [International Data Corp.] projects. It’s always growing faster, specifically in Brazil — the overall IT market grew at a 5.7 % annual growth rate … The [Brazilian] Linux market is growing at four times that rate. When you have te
