Первая конференция "Свободное программное обеспечение: бизнес-модели и корпоративные инициативы" прошла в Москве 28 ноября в рамках программы "Электронная Россия". Ее организаторами выступили Издательский дом "Компьютерра" и Высшая школа экономики...

The first conference "Free Software: Business Models and Corporate Initiatives" was held in Moscow, November 28, 2001 under the auspices of Computerra publishers (www.computerra.ru) and the Higher School of Economics (www.hse.ru). The Conference was held within the frameworks of the Electronic Russia federal special program.

The Electronic Russia Federal Program was designed as means of shortening the "digital divide" between Russian transitional economy and Western economies.

The main goal of the event was stated as establishing of a mutual understanding between all parties concerned and involved in establishing the social institute of Free Software in Russia, including developers, providers, and customers. The first feedback proves that generally the goal has been achieved.

The Conference proved that Free Software enjoys a substantial support among computer industry leaders. IBM and Sun Microsystems sponsored the event. The speakers delegated by both companies enlarged upon their initiatives in the Free Software development. Among those Linux multi-billion IBM-financed project and portable office software initiatives (openoffice.org/StarOffice and integrating Gnome into Solaris environment) of Sun were mentioned.

A number of speeches were delivered by the representatives of international and Russian Free Software projects: Debian Project (www.debian.org), Russian Apache (www.apache.ru), ALT Linux Team (www.altlinux.ru), ASPLinux (www.asplinux.ru), Linux.Ink (www.linux-ink.ru), Gnome localization project (www.gnome.ru), ReiserFS (namesys.com), Runix Online (Linux on PlayStation/PlayStation 2, www.runixonline.com,) and others.

Experience in regular usage of Free Software in various areas was communicated by several commercial and governmental entities, among them Promtechn (Defence/special-purpose software licensing organization), Russian Aircraft Construction Corporation of MiG, Moscow Industrial State University, Mir publishing house, and International Chamber of Commerce.

Legal protection issues and economical aspects of Free Software were discussed at a roundtable along with the problems of enhancing competition, standardization, and business and social security in IT. The academic community was represented by the Council on Telecommunications of Russian Academy of Sciences, Higher School of

Economics, and other institutions.

A 130-pp. preview booklet was published accommodating the theses by the speakers and the Free Software Foundation (www.fsf.org) materials. The conclusions of the Meeting will be covered by formal report and expanded proceedings to be published in the future. A special interests group on Free Software (Free Software SIG) under the auspices of the Electronic Russia program will be founded. The organizers of the Meeting (the Higher School of Economics and the Computerra publishers) expressed a resolution to host and support the FS SIG in the interim period.

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Higher School of Economics (www.hse.ru) was established in Moscow in 1992 by the Russian Government to assist economic reforms in Russia by providing training, academic research, consulting, and policy advising in economics and social sciences. In 1995, the HSE was granted a university status. Currently the HSE is considered the biggest and most influential newly established educational institutions in Russia. The HSE is an autonomous university, providing training, retraining, and serving a scientific research center for the Ministry of Economics of the Russian Federation. The HSE is governed by prominent statesmen and researchers, namely Yevgeny Yasin (Academic Supervisor,) Alexander Schokhin (President,) and Yaroslav Kouzminov (Chancellor.) The HSE has regional branches in Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Perm, and Saint Petersburg.

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Computerra (www.computerra.ru) is the leading computer publishing house in Russia. It publishes Computerra, the most popular serious weekly in Russia with overall circulation of over 130,000 copies, Infobusiness weekly for professional community (www.ibusiness.ru), Home Computer (www.homepc.ru,) and GAME.EXE (www.game-exe.ru) monthlies.