Brazil + Linux = $

This blog is based upon an older podcast from NPR regarding the Brazilian governments stance on open sourced software.

Link - http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=3919175&m=3919176

The podcast shows how the Brazilian government is continually shifting away from Microsoft through an alternative software program to not only save hundreds of thousands of dollars of software expenses, but to also liberate themselves from them in the process. Brazil has spent over a billion dollars in software licenses since 1999. Because of this, many Brazilian companies have alternatively pirated software in order to save money.

Through recent years, their government has made a stance by making a switch to open sourced (or free) programs, along with the increasingly user friendly virus free Linux OS platform as their default software. This movement also includes custom Linux Brazilian desktop versions for casual users as well. 

I find this not a big surprise as a large community of independent developers of open source software are located in South America and Brazil in particular. It was only a matter of time before this would come to pass. This movement is something that many countries, including first world countries, could learn from. It's funny how much money can be saved just by looking for alternatives - even more funny that alternatives might even work better in the long run..