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Group Meeting on Open Source Software Solutions Group Meeting on Open Source Software Solutions for the Public Sector in Arab Regionfor the Public Sector in Arab Region

Cairo, December 19-21, 2006Cairo, December 19-21, 2006ESCWA, UNESCWA, UN

IRAQI GOVERNMENT INTRANETIRAQI GOVERNMENT INTRANET

Mahmood K ShariefMahmood K Sharief, Ph.D. Eng., Ph.D. Eng.Director General,Director General,Directorate of Information TechnologyDirectorate of Information TechnologyMinistry of Science and Technology,Ministry of Science and Technology,Republic of IRAQRepublic of IRAQ

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Background

June 2004: in Resolution 1546, the United Nations calls on Member States to help the new Iraqi government for institution building.

July 2004: the Italian Minister for Innovation and Technologies and the Iraqi Minister of Science and Technology sign a Memorandum of Understanding in which the Italian Government commits to provide technical and financial assistance for the construction of an Intranet linking the Ministries of the new Iraqi Administration.

October 2004: the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs endorses an agreement assigning the operational control of the project and the administration of the funds for the construction phase to Innovazione Italia SpA, an agency whose functions include the practical execution of projects emanating from the Ministry for Innovation and Technologies. The project starts with a budget of 3,1 million euro.

October 2005, the Italian Minister for Innovation and Technologies and the Iraqi Minister of Science and Technology, Ms. Basima Yousuf Putros, meet in Rome for the official inauguration of GovNet and the launch of a second extended phase of the project, which is scheduled for completion in December 2006. The second phase of the project starts with a budget of 2,1 million euro.

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COUNTRY OPPORTUNITIES

The Government Intranet project represents the first step for the development of an efficient E-Government Platform, able to support the reconstruction of the Country

Create innovativeCreate innovativeoperational processesoperational processes

Leverage knowledge Leverage knowledge and skillsand skills

Modernize Modernize structuresstructures

Enhance relations within Enhance relations within Government structures and Government structures and

between citizens and businessesbetween citizens and businesses

Innovate and integrate Innovate and integrate servicesservices

Enhance IT services and special Enhance IT services and special skills required by the systemskills required by the system

An efficient An efficient communication communication network (intranet)network (intranet) is is essential for the functioning of essential for the functioning of government offices ensuring government offices ensuring secured data sharing and secured data sharing and managing application systemsmanaging application systems

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Ministry of Science and Ministry of Science and TechnologyTechnology(M.O.S.T.)(M.O.S.T.)

Italian Ministry for Italian Ministry for Innovation and Innovation and TechnologiesTechnologies

Italian Ministry Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairsof Foreign Affairs

Promotion and coordination

Organizational architecture: continuous cooperation and problem solutions

IT DirectorateIT DirectorateTechnical Unit Technical Unit

E-government for E-government for DevelopmentDevelopment

Innovazione ItaliaInnovazione ItaliaOperative Structure

Market Market

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JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR JUN JUL AUG MAYJUN

2004 2005

SEP OCT DEC JAN NOV FEB MAR MAYAPR

2006

JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APRJUN

2007

The project plan has been developed in two phases

IRAQI GOVERNMENT INTRANET

Second Phase

IRAQI GOVERNMENT INTRANET

First Phase

I Memorandum of Understanding

II Memorandum of Understanding

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Construction of the Government Intranet

Capacity Building

Assistance and Remote Control Center

First Phase of the Project:First Phase of the Project:

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The numbering refers to the IRMO standards

16

31

30

271

18

2

37

29

19

14

25

1 Government Of Iraqi Council

2 Baghdad Mayor – Amanat

14 Ministry of Finance (Central Bank – Main)

16 Ministry of Finance (Main)

18 Ministry of Foreign Affairs

19 Ministry of Health

25 Ministry of Justice

27 Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works (Main)

29 Ministry of Oil

30 Ministry of Planning and Development

31 Ministry of Science and Technology (Coordination Centre)

37 Iraqi National Intelligence Service

12 sites connected by laser

Government Intranet Infrastructure in Baghdad consists mainly in a Laser backbone connecting selected Ministries in order to guarantee voice, video and data sharing

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SERVER / FIREWALL

SERVER / FIREWALL

The Laser backbone represents an innovative and efficient solution

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The Coordination Center implemented at the MoST with its 8 servers coordinates all the activities and provides a basic array of services

Intranet Coordination Center - MoSTIntranet Coordination Center – MoST Other Ministries

switch/routerFirewall

switch/router Firewall

switch/router Firewall

Laser Laser

Remote ControlCenter in Rome

SatelliteConnection Internet

Web and application

server

Mail Server DNS Secure User Profile

database Open Source Software platform assures independence from proprietary solutions

Large bandwidth on the backbone

Scalability in the number of connected sites

Laser technology for Network connection:

High security

Easiness of integration

Important remarksImportant remarks

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Open Source Software

"the great thing about open source is nobody owns it, a company like Oracle is free to take it for nothing, include it in our products and charge for support, and that's what we'll do. So it is not disruptive at all, you have to find places to add value. Once open source gets good enough, competing with it would be insane".

Larry Ellison CEO Oracle, 18th April 2006, Financial Times

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Headlines that providesa quick indication to what it is all about

1. Open Source Software (OSS) is currently the most significant issue related to global change and reform in the ICT industry. Virtually every major player in the industry has developed or is developing an OSS strategy.

2. OSS is a techno-social issue that has deep educational significance beyond the technologies themselves.

3. Good educational practice will ensure that Open Source development is sustained by involving young people and their teachers in participative technological learning.

4. OSS development is highly congruent with the Government's stated e-strategy for schools. It complements policies including social inclusion, social enterprise, personal learning, vocational education, and citizenship.

5. There is credible and growing support for Open Source strategies that can significantly enhance Government policies and the e-strategy.

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Headlines, continued

6. Co-operation between Government, commercial and third sector organizations within the umbrella of the OSS community, is a powerful public-private-third sector partnership waiting to be exploited.

7. Clear leadership has the potential to save literally billions of dinars starting with low risk key strategies. There is huge scope to reduce costs and improve efficiency.

8. A high profile for OSS promotes increased competition that will force down prices and reduce the technological divide providing better value for tax payers.

9. Innovative governments are providing world leadership in technology reform through Open Source Strategies.

10. Public sector education requires an OSS strategy starting with a limited practical research and development exercise to explore better and more efficient methods for public sector software procurement as well as developing the community role of schools.

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Potential benefits in the use of Open Source Software lie in areas such as:

• Reduced overall costs, due to the removal of software licensing fees (though ongoing maintenance and support costs still exist) and the bargaining power that the potential switch to the use of Open Source Software may be able to exert on traditional software pricing.

• Increased reliability, stability and security through the open-development model which encourages peer review and increases code quality and the lack of obfuscation of software vulnerabilities (no parent company image to protect).

• A reduction of reliance on imported software, as Open Source Software support and implementation can be provided through local firms and there are generally no license cost to be paid for its use.

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Potential benefits, continued

• The avoidance of vendor “lock-in” through the support for open source software by multiple software support vendors.

• Greater interoperability and support for open standards through the nonproprietary nature of development, reducing the cost of e-government integration and increasing opportunities for information sharing.

However, it should be noted that not all Open Source Software is of enterprise quality, and these benefits may only be achievable through the selection of appropriate open source software.

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Potential disadvantages in the use of Open Source Software lie in areas such as:

• Security and integrity risks, due to the unknown nature of the development process for some Open Source Software and lack of recourse opportunities (no-one to sue) if problems arise.

• Difficulty in directly comparing Open Source and “traditional” software in procurement, through the lack of formal methodologies, significant differences in cost structures, license requirements and documentation.

• Lack of skills and experiences within the selection, evaluation, deployment and use of Open Source Software, which may be a barrier to its uptake within Government.

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Skills developedSkills developed

SubjectsSubjects

CoursesCourses

Class hoursClass hours 500

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System Administrators

Network Administrators

Open Source Developers

Laser Installation Experts

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Server Platform

Linux

Web server

Router

Network configurationNetwork configuration

Web PortalLaser installation

Projectors calibration

Resources Resources trainedtrained

aboutabout

Capacity Building has been granted through intensive courses held in Italy by professionals to Iraqi personnel. They are now appointed to ensure knowledge replication and crossover

More thanMore than

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““On field” On field” Assistance Assistance

Remote ControlRemote ControlCenter (Rome)Center (Rome)

Hardware supplierHardware suppliertechnicianstechnicians

““On line” On line” Assistance Assistance

M.o.S.TM.o.S.TInfrastructure BackboneInfrastructure Backbone

UsersUsers

Support System Support System PortalPortal

Assistance ModelAssistance Model

The entire Infrastructure can rely on both “on field” Assistance and “on line” Assistance through the Remote Control Center in Rome, directly connected to the M.o.S.T.

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Second Phase of the project:Second Phase of the project:

Network consolidation and integration

Government Portal and Applications

Capacity Building

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The numbering refers to the IRMO standards

16

31

30

271

18

2

37

29

19

14

25

Government Intranet consolidation and integration deals with the proper management of the infrastructure, Radio Back up solutions and Network integration.

Existing NetworkExisting Network

GOVNETGOVNET

Integration

The integration represents a huge opportunity to enhance a better “asset management” and to improve services distribution

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IRAQI GOVERNMENT PORTALIRAQI GOVERNMENT PORTAL

•Accounting

•Procurement

•E-learning

The Infrastructure allows for the development of the Government Internet Portal that will enhance services and applications.

APPLICATIONSAPPLICATIONS

•News

•Useful phone numbers

•Current laws

•Search engine

•Community (instant messaging, newsgroup, etc..)

•……

•Document Management System

•Link to applications

INF

OR

MA

TIV

EIN

FO

RM

AT

IVE

ON

E-W

AY

ON

E-W

AY

•Human Resources

•Telemedicine

MANAGERMANAGER

TECHNICIANSTECHNICIANS

EMPLOYEESEMPLOYEES

SECOND OPINIONSECOND OPINION

MEDICAL JOURNALS MEDICAL JOURNALS REPOSITORYREPOSITORY

ON-LINE TRAININGON-LINE TRAINING

Different Different users users

Different Different users users

Civil Civil ServantsServants

Civil Civil ServantsServants

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Capacity Building represents the fundamental instrument to guarantee self-sustainability and further knowledge crossover

• Formal class courses held in Italy

• e-Learning

• Strengthen the developed skills

• Widen Technicians Base

• Improve management skills ScopeScope

ModalityModality

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Thank YouAnd Please, Pray with us for a

Unified, Peaceful, and Prosperous IRAQ

itdgoffice@most-iraq.net

Office Land Line: +964-1-778-4073

Iraqna Cell Phone: +964-790-193-9983