Advisory Council Brings Global Perspective

GOSCON will begin with the first Annual International Open ICT (information and communications technology) Summit, a full-day event that will convene information technology executives from government agencies around the world.

According to Dr. Shahani Markus Weerawarana, Chief Technology Officer, ICT Agency of Sri Lanka, “The expansion of GOSCON to include an International Open ICT Summit is a timely and highly welcome step in an effort to harness practical knowledge, experiences, and best practices of eGovernment initiatives that have leveraged open ICTs.”

Dr. Weerawarana joins an international Advisory Council that is providing critical guidance in the formation of the Summit.  The GOSCON 2008 Advisory Council includes:

Ron Fresquez, Founder and CEO, The Open Source Technology Alliance (TOSTA)
Samia Melhem, Senior Operations Officer, CITPO, GICT, World Bank
Dr. Shahani Markus Weerawarana, Chief Technology Officer, ICT Agency of Sri Lanka
Timothy Ney, Co-founder, Linux Greenhouse

Since its first conference in 2005, GOSCON has gained recognition for its focus on open source in government agencies world-wide. An educational event focused on the practical application of open source software in government, GOSCON provides an educational forum for government IT executives and their key staff to understand both the business case and practical application of open source in transforming the delivery of government services.

“The International Open ICT Summit couldn’t come at a better time for professionals working in government and technology around the world,” says Timothy Ney. “GOSCON provides a great opportunity to gain insight into how open technologies in government work, and there is no friendlier place than Portland for such a meeting.”

“Governments around the globe have been leading adopters of open technology – some through practical application in their ICT operations,  others through regional or national referendum,” explains Deborah Bryant, conference director and former State of Oregon Deputy Chief Information Officer. “We are pleased to bring government executives together for an unprecedented exchange.”