IT Adaptation in Developing Countries An Ethnographic Study of the Open Source Initiative SchoolNet Namibia

Abstract

The Open Source (OS) movement was started as a reaction to proprietary software by people with strong beliefs in the freedom of information, knowledge and software. OS is in computer circles today known as rapidly developed stable and secure software of high quality. Besides these technical advantages, many OS advocates mean that Open Source The Open Source (OS) movement was started as a reaction to proprietary software by people with strong beliefs in the freedom of information, knowledge and software. OS is in computer circles today known as rapidly developed stable and secure software of high quality. Besides these technical advantages, many OS advocates mean that Open Source Software (OSS) is a competitive alternative to proprietary software in order to bridge the digital divide. Since little research exist about the use of OS in developing countries, we decided to make a one-month field study in Namibia. The organisation SchoolNet Namibia uses refurbished equipment together with Open Source Software to bring computers and Internet to Namibian schools. The purpose with our journey was to find out whether this technology was successfully adapted by its users or not. The question we chose to answer was: Which factors are critical for a successful IT adaptation in a developing country? We used theories about IT adaptation in general and combined them with theories about implementation of technology in developing countries. Our study showed that SchoolNet Namibia has considered many of the important factors mentioned in the existing theories and is working towards a successful IT adaptation. By combining our theories and applying them to our results we were able to generalise and come up with conclusions concerning IT adaptation in developing countries. According to us, the critical factors for successful IT adaptation consist of addressing real, experienced problems, making the technology sensible to its users, providing sustainable solutions, controlling that the infrastructure supports the technology, realising the importance of local champions, focusing on the right target group, avoiding technical distanciation and understanding attitudes and structures of the society.Software (OSS) is a competitive alternative to proprietary software in order to bridge the digital divide. Since little research exist about the use of OS in developing countries, we decided to make a one-month field study in Namibia. The organisation SchoolNet Namibia uses refurbished equipment together with Open Source Software to bring computers and Internet to Namibian schools. The purpose with our journey was to find out whether this technology was successfully adapted by its users or not. The question we chose to answer was: Which factors are critical for a successful IT adaptation in a developing country? We used theories about IT adaptation in general and combined them with theories about implementation of technology in developing countries. Our study showed that SchoolNet Namibia has considered many of the important factors mentioned in the existing theories and is working towards a successful IT adaptation. By combining our theories and applying them to our results we were able to generalise and come up with conclusions concerning IT adaptation in developing countries. According to us, the critical factors for successful IT adaptation consist of addressing real, experienced problems, making the technology sensible to its users, providing sustainable solutions, controlling that the infrastructure supports the technology, realising the importance of local champions, focusing on the right target group, avoiding technical distanciation and understanding attitudes and structures of the society.