SUSE, Limpopo government launch Offline Content Project

17 Mar 2017

Enterprise Linux and open source solutions provider, SUSE South Africa, has joined forces with Limpopo Connexion to launch the Offline Content Project which provides schools with access to educational information even when they have no connectivity.

SUSE, Limpopo government launch Offline Content Project

The project will be highlighted on 17 March 2017 in Polokwane to coincide with the Free Open Source Software (FOSS) Day and will see members of government in attendance in addition to the partners and the Limpopo Government IT Officers Council.

SUSE provided the operating system for the laptops and tablets used at the schools, across the province and have been assisting with free technical support for the year.

“This is a great partnership between the public and private sector and reflects the commitment there is to getting learners access to quality tools and information for the digital age. One of the many benefits of using open source and SUSE as the foundation in this project is that it is incredibly cost-effective as no licensing is required.

“Furthermore, there is no vendor lock-in so the 25 schools in the project have carte blanche when it comes to the open source platform,” says Matthew Lee, regional manager for Africa at SUSE.

Developing ICT skills

The Offline Content Project seeks to develop ICT skills in the province and wants to empower community members to be active participants in the knowledge economy.

“With partners like SUSE, the Limpopo province can lead the charge in showing how free and open source software can be used to help deliver on the national development goals and strategies. We want to transform Limpopo into a world-class knowledge society and this is the platform that will enable us to do so,” says Limpopo Connexion acting CEO, Baldwin Ramasobane.

Lee agrees: “This is a perfect example of how open source is creating opportunities for education as well as how the government can work with the private sector to create practical value for the citizens of the country. By creating an information-rich society built through knowledge received from an open source environment, the role of education truly becomes transformational,” he says.

He feels that this finally gives impetus to making learners employable for organisations looking for digital-savvy people that are comfortable with using information in practical ways.