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Open source Operating System
The Story in India
Jayanta Parial
jayanta.parial[at]cdackolkata.in
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Agenda
 Background
 What is FOSS
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 Relevance of FOSS
 Intellectual Property
 Economics of FOSS
 NRCFOSS
 BOSS
 Implementation Status in India
 CASE Studies
 Conclusion
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What is FOSS
 The Free/Open Source Software (FOSS) stands for freedom for
production, distribution, modification and use of:
 Software – consists of programs (series of instructions to the computer)
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 Source Code – the actual series of instructions written by the software
programmer
 Open Source – where the source code written by the programmer is in the
public domain - it can be 'seen' by any person
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What is Free Software
Free software – Software in which user has following freedoms
 Freedom to use (this is also there when proprietary software is bought)
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 Freedom to study source code (this freedom requires source code to be
Open)
 Freedom to modify the code
 Freedom to distribute the code
Free here refers free source of the software, not free software. It is Mukta
Software not Mufta Software
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Relevance of FOSS
Relevance and value of FOSS , especially to the Indian context, arise from
the following, among other things:
 FOSS is low cost and affordable.
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 FOSS makes design details & code freely available.
 FOSS is easy to modify & customize.
 FOSS products are getting robust and superior.
 FOSS & Open Standards prevent vendor-lockin
 FOSS helps eliminate use of un-licensed SW.
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Intellectual property-Nature
 There are basically 2 kinds of assets
 Tangible
 Intangible
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 Tangible assets are subjected to some kind of rights that are socially
accepted.
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Knowledge
 Knowledge is an intangible asset
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 Strong Pressure to treat it like a private property
KNOWLEDGE CAN BE SHARED WITHOUT ANY ONE SUFFERING
LOSS.
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Economics of FOSS
 FOSS can be distributed without much additional expenditure, its
marginal cost is nil.
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 FOSS encourages Local enterprises. In countries where it has been
adopted it has given impetus to local industry and employment.
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NRCFOSS
NRCFOSS Mission
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 Foster an eco-system for Open Source, Open Standards and Open
Systems in India, integrating and benefiting the efforts and needs of all
stake holders
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Developing Indian FOSS eco system
Commitment:
Govt., other
stake holders;
• Resource
Provision
• Institutional
Network of
set up
Resource R & D
• Standing
Centers
consultation
mechanism
Indian FOSS
Distribution,
Indian
Examination &
Eco
Certification
system
of
Professionals for FOSS
….
Govt. decision & announcement
Indian draft policy paper for FOSS
Purchase Educatio
Policy
n & HRD
(d)
HRD for
FOSS
capable IT
professional
s
Legal cell
Roll out /
to be
adoption
created
(c)
E-Gover
-nance
Strategic
issues
(a)
C-DAC/Kolkata
Road Map,
action Plan
(f)
Embedded
(b)
S&E
Systems,
Smart Card applications
O/S, RTOS
…
FOSS development in India
Govt. role in FOSS:
Global Trend Analysis
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Benefits
Competitive local Industry
Bargaining Position
Address Digital Divide
Reduce cost of ownership, promote interoperability,
enable local user support
Global
Co-operation with
other countries,
Vendors/ Multi lateral,
Bilateral Co-operation
----
Global
ecosystem
for FOSS
(e)
Global FOSS movement
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NRCFOSS – Phase-I
 First major National level initiative.
 Programme of the Department of Information Technology,GOI
 C-DAC, Chennai & AU-KBC core partners.
 Large network of major players built up (Industry, Other C-DAC Nodes,
Government Institutions, Academia)
 Development of Indian distribution of GNU/Linux - BOSS
 Number of training and educational activities – Formal and Non-Formal
 A solid base for further consolidation and expansion
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 Setup in April 2005
NRCFOSS Phase -II
Funding agency – Department of Information Technology, Government of India
 A more open inclusive approach with multiple partners to enhance
acceptability, visibility and reach (C-DAC Chennai, C-DAC Mumbai, CDAC Hyderabad, C-DAC Delhi, IIT Madras, IIT Bombay, AU-KBC )
 Areas of focus – SME’s , Education, Accessibility, Indian Language support,
Localized applications
 Research on SaaS Framework, FOSS issues etc
 BOSS Linux to be used as the base for all development to ensure the reach to
end users.
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 Duration of the project : 3 years
Expected Outcome:
 Development of SaaS stack delivery model
development
of
Common
desktop
development
 Setting up Centre of Excellence for Mobile Internet Devices based on
BOSS Linux
 Development and enhancement of NRCFOSS portal which will become a
platform for multidisciplinary organizations involved in Open Source
 Development of knowledge bank repository for scientific/ e-Governance
applications
 Further additions and enhancements to BOSS Linux specific to education
& scientific domain
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 Integration and
infrastructure
Expected Outcome
 Develop a service oriented architecture for kernel services
 Setting up of GCC Resource Centre which leads to improving GCC and
spreading the technical know-how of GCC particularly in India through
converting a few interesting research break-throughs (eg. whole-program
analysis, optimizer generation from specifications, better instruction
selection) into practically useful technologies
 FOSS HRD in the formal sector & Non-formal sectors which include
 Open Source Walk-in e-Learning solutions Laboratory with focus on
standards compliance and Offering Certification Course in Open Source
Software
 Creation & Maintenance of Knowledge bank repository for education
domain
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 Enhancing accessibility for FOSS desktops
Product Development – BOSS GNU/Linux
 Product from NRCFOSS
 Made specifically for the Indian environment , it consists of a pleasing
desktop environment coupled with Indian language support and other
packages that are most relevant for use in the government domain.
 BOSS GNU/Linux is derived from Debian
 The ultimate goal is to localize in all Indian regional languages. So this
benefits non-English speakers to reach technology that bridge digital divide in
India.
 BOSS Linux is available as Desktop, Server and EduBOSS editions
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 Linux distribution developed by C-DAC for enhancing the use of Free/Open
Source Software in India.
BOSS GNU/Linux Desktop edition: an overview
 BOSS Linux 1.0 (Tarang) – released in January 2006
 BOSS Linux 2.0 (Anant) – released in September 2007
 Current version – BOSS 4.0 – released in February 2011
 It consists of 3 sections
 Install – allows User to install BOSS Linux on to hard disk and work on it
 Live – Lets you to have the BOSS desktop in your system without installing
 Utility – Consists of add-on packages that an be installed in BOSS for some
specific applications like Web Server, education tools
 Kernel – 2.6.32 and 2.6.37
 BOSS Linux comes with Gnome desktop
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 BOSS 3.0 (Tejas) – released in September 2008













User Friendly Graphical Installer
Indian version of Open Office – BharateeyaOO
BOSS security features
3D Desktop
Auto detecting of devices
Better usability for digital cameras, printers, scanners, Bluetooth, TV
tuner.
Auto mount of all Hard disk partitions
Localization support for desktop in 22 Indian languages
Smart Common Input Method
Migration tool - Bulk document converter
Internet tools – Pidgin, Iceweasel, X-chat
Multimedia support
LSB certified
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BOSS GNU/Linux desktop – features
BOSS GNU/Linux Server edition
 BOSS Linux Server is a Debian based server operating system
 BOSS Server has upgraded to advanced Level server featuring
Virtualization, LDAP Server and LTSP Server.
 BOSS advanced server was released during India soft 2009(Feb 2009),at
Kolkata
 BOSS advanced level server is been configured for Intel ix86, AMD- 64 and
Intel Core duo
 BOSS Advanced Server 1.0 includes Web Server (Apache2), Database
Server (Mysql and Postgresql), Virtualisation Server (Xen), Mail Server
(Postfix), Proxy Server (Squid), Network Server (bind9 and DHCP3), File
Server (Samba and NFS)
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 BOSS Entry level server was released during Elitex 2008 (Jan 2008)
EduBOSS
 BOSS Linux customized to School domain.
 EduBOSS is a Debian based Linux distribution which is adopted for Indian
scenario.
 Includes authoring tools, Edutainment, Graphics, Maths, Science, Social
 bundled with Productive application suite – BharateeyaOO - comprising of
word processor, spread sheet, Draw, Database, Presentation.
 Features enhanced presentation tool, Migration tool, SCIM
 Available in Indian languages
 EduBOSS 1.0 - released in June 2010
 EduBOSS 2.0 - released in April 2011
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 This is aimed towards the education sector and would include popular
educational tools.
BOSS GNU/Linux Adoption Status
 CHiPS Chattisgarh: deployed in CHoiCE project. More than 30G2C services
currently running under CHOiCE project. Rolled out in 6 districts
 Kerala: Implementation in Kerala in 101 villages across Palakkad & Thrissur districts
(application DC Suite). Govt of Kerala has shown interest to implement BOSS Linux
in IT@School project in approx. 12000 schools.
 Government of Tripura: BOSS Linux deployed for preparation of Village Committee
Electoral Roll (Bengali only) for Tripura Tribal Area Autonomous District Council
Election 2011 conducted during Feb 2011.Deployed in More than 200 PCs
 Government of Punjab: deployment of BOSS Linux in 46000 desktops spread across
4965 schools in Punjab under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan programme. 5000 systems
with Desktop virtualisation solution. Punjab Edusat Society for 90000 desktops with
EduBOSS
 Government of Haryana: Deployment of BOSS Linux in 58000 desktop (2637
schools).
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 MOUs signed with CHiPS Chattisgarh, ELCOT Tamil Nadu, Government of Bihar,
Government of Tripura., National Informatics Centre (NIC) for deployment of BOSS
Linux across the country, Indian Navy
 Indian Navy: Deployment of BOSS Linux across the Indian Navy in all
their departments for their office productivity and other application during
the contract. As part of the MOU, C-DAC provided 8 user level training
programmes and one administrative level training programme at mutually
agreed locations. Proposal has been submitted to Indian Navy for renewing
the Contract for a further period of three years. Currently we are into
customisation of BOSS Linux (security enhancements) to Indian Navy.
 Indian Army: Deployments of BOSS Linux in Army Offices. Formal MoU
to be signed with Indian Army similar on the lines wit Indian Navy.
 Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) A.P : tender for desktop computers
clearly specifying that the desktops should be preloaded with BOSS Linux
and peripherals with drivers support for BOSS Linux and hence compliance
to BOSS Linux. Around 250 systems with BOSS Linux.
 CBSE: adoption of FOSS in Senior Secondary curriculum.
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BOSS GNU/Linux Adoption Status
Support Structure for BOSS Linux
 Support group setup at C-DAC Centres spread across the country.
 Support group has also been setup at State Nodal agencies
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 National help desk facility setup in C-DAC Chennai. Currently calls
attended in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam.
 Support groups setup through CDAC GIST Pace Centres
 Support groups to be setup at Academic institutions
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NRCFOSS – linkages to other centres
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Security Enhancements to BOSS Linux
 Means hardening the Linux system (ie, protecting the kernel from the
external intrusions). RULE: Deny ALL and then ALLOW
 Password and login security: password / passphrase strength checking and
enforcement, fail delay of password Authentication, No. of failed login
attempts
 Secure Kernel: All the security Functionalities & ext3 File system residing
inside the kernel space, not in the User Space to make operating System
more secure
 Encrypting File System: The encryption process will obscure certain
information, making it unreadable without a special password or passcode.
 SElinux: SELinux is a Mandatory Access Control (MAC) system which is a
kernel (LSM) enhancement to confine programs to a limited set of
resources. SELinux allows more fine grained access controls than traditional
Unix permissions offer
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 Partitioning: Separate user-writable data, non-system data, and rapidly
changing run-time data to their own partitions.
Security Enhancements to BOSS Linux
 Audit: it provides tools that help the administrative user extract specific
types of audit events, audit events for specific users, audit events related
to specific file system objects or audit events within a specific time frame
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 Disable drivers, Disable Services
 File integrity Check
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EAL4 compliance
 The Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL1 through EAL7) of an IT product
or system is a numerical grade assigned following the completion of a
Common Criteria security evaluation, an international standard in effect
since 1999.
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 The increasing assurance levels reflect added assurance requirements that
must be met to achieve Common Criteria certification. The intent of the
higher levels is to provide higher confidence that the system's principal
security features are reliably implemented.
 BOSS GNU/Linux is being tested for EAL4 compliance
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Applications on FOSS/BOSS
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Personnel Information System - PIS
 An e-Governance application initiative
 Facilitates, HR Division to work more efficiently and effectively in
managing the employee Personal Details, Leaves, LTC & Medical
reimbursements etc.
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 Reduction of paper work for employees
 An effective workflow of HR Process.
 Modules
 Payroll module
 Claims module
 Leave moule
 Tour module
 Localisation support
 A Cloud Enabled application.
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PIS – Technology used
 Technology
 Grails Framework
 Postgresql database
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 Jquery.
 Grails is a high-productivity (RAPID,DYNAMIC and ROBUST) web
framework based on the Groovy language. It's an open-source web
application framework that leverages the Groovy language and
complements Java Web development. Grails is licensed under the liberal
Apache 2.0 Software License.
 PostgreSQL is a powerful, open source object-relational database system.
 Jquery is a fast, concise, library that simplifies how to traverse HTML
documents, handle events, perform animations and add AJAX.
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Integrated Library Management System (ILMS)
 Customizable Web-based Interfaces
 User-friendly GUI for librarians and members
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 A live OPAC (online public access catalog) for with
customizable search and provision for reserving books
 Circulation and borrower management
 Simple acquisitions system for the smaller library
 Serials system for magazines or newspapers
 Automated handling of books with RFID(Radio Frequency
identification) Technology including self issue and return by
users, and a host of facilities for the library administrators
including inventory control and stock taking.
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ILMS – cont’d
 BOSS comes integrated with necessary packages required for
successful installation of ILS.
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 One step installation of ILS with minimal configuration steps
enabling a librarian to install and configure the ILS with ease.
 Offline installer for ILS enabling perl dependencies to be
installed on a standalone machine with no internet connectivity
 Provides support to drivers for RFID reader , Printers and
other hardware interfaced
 Renders localization support to ILS
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CHOiCE -- Chattisgarh
 The Chattisgarh Online Information System for Citizen Empowerment
(CHOiCE) is a revolutionary approach to citizen services and provides
one stop solution for any where-any time based government.
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 Presently more than 30 G2C and numerous G2B services for all the
requirements of citizens are provided
 CHOiCE project works on PPP model with private persons appointed as
CHOiCE agents.
 Project rolled out on Linux and other Open Source Software, perhaps the
biggest Open Source e-Governance project in the country
 Project successfully rolled out in Raipur and other five districts. CHOiCE
roll out in 12 districts initiated
 Approximately 250000 transactions has taken place
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@ NIC Palakkad
DC* Suite
 It is a web enabled solution built on industry standard
technologies and best practices.
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 DC Suite is an integrated suite of applications for the Collectorate, based
on an integrated solution architecture covering all function areas and
activities of the Collectorate.
software
 There are twenty functional areas identified including workflow based file
management system, public grievances monitoring, revenue recovery
management etc..
Taluk* Suite
 An extension of DC* Suite to Taluks and villages
 Integrated web based application for Taluk activities
 Web based solution developed using Linux, Apache, MySQL & PHP
 Complete Open Source initiative
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BOSS Cloud
 Cloud Computing test bed has been setup at C-DAC Chennai using the
existing Open Source Cloud management tools like Eucalyptus, Xen
Hypervisor with BOSS Linux Advanced Server as the host OS.
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 It is planned to come out with BOSS Cloud wherein BOSS Linux is
bundled with the Cloud tools stack comprising Eucalyptus, Xen
Hypervisor, Ganglia, Appscale with enhanced function & features.
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Collaboration with National and International
Institutions
International
 Government
• NIC, ELCOT, CHIPS, CDACMumbai, CDAC- Bangalore,
STQC
•
OSRC Pakistan, ICTA Srilanka, PMO
Bangladesh, NITC Nepal, Sharif
 Societies
• FSF India, Indian NGOs
 Academic Institutions
• IIT Chennai, SSN, Jaya, RMK
Engineering Colleges, PSG Tech
 Industry
• IBM India, Intel India
 Community
• LUGs (Delhi, Chennai)
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DIT Bhutan, MCIT Afghanistan,
University Iran

Societies
•
Linux Foundation, CICC, AOSS,
IOSN, South Asian NGOs

Community South Asian LUGs

Training under ASEAN
cooperation
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National
 Government
Case Study - TRIPURA
 There was an urgent need to edit PDF file for preparation of
Tripura Tribal Area Autonomous District Council (TTADC)
Village Committee Electoral (VCE) Roll
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 Panchayat Department, Govt. of Tripura is the Nodal
Department for conducting TTADC Village Committee
Election
 The Election Commission would provide Photo Electoral
Roll in PDF format which has to be segregated on the basis
of Village Committee areas.
 It was a huge task involving about 10 lakh voters
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Case Study - TRIPURA
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 To effect the successful implementation, master trainers, mostly
Senior Computer Assistants, from all over Tripura, were provided
with training on BOSS Installation, Configuring Internet, Using
BOSS, Typing in Bengali using Bharatiyaa Open Office, using
GIMP software to edit PDF file. They in turn trained the village
level officers.
 EduBOSS 1.0 and BOSS 4.0 copies, and BOSS was installed in
almost all the blocks in 200 plus desktops
 The successful implementation of the project resulted in the
publication of Final Village Committee Electoral Roll for
TTAADC Election 2011 on 25th January 2011 in Bengali to
prepare for the Tripura Tribal Area Autonomous District Council
(TTAADC) Election 2011 which was held on 24th February 2011
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Case Study-Others
 The IT @ School project of Kerala replaced Windows software with
FOSS on 50,000 desktops in schools across the state. Tangible benefits
amounted to Rs 490 million ($ 10.2 million).
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 Great Market (name changed), a large e-commerce firm, adopted FOSS
for servers, MIS development, document management and for desktops.
The savings from desktops alone came to Rs 3 million ($ 63 thousand).
 Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), one of the largest insurers in India,
with an IT infrastructure of 3500 servers and 30,000 desktops, saved
about Rs 420 million ($ 8.75 million) by adopting FOSS.
 The New India Assurance company, a general insurance firm, having
 1100 offices, and an IT infrastructure of 1500 servers and 7000 desktops
saved about Rs 800 million ($ 16.67 million) in tangible and intangible
costs.
SOURCE: Rahul De, IIM Bangalore
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Case Study-Others
 GGG (name changed) is a medium-sized e-commerce solutions IT
firm that relies heavily on FOSS. GGG saved about Rs 3.6 millions
($ 75 thousand) by using FOSS on its desktops.
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 I•T for Change is an NGO with about 30 employees. They use
FOSS extensively on all their servers and desktops and estimated
tangible savings of about Rs 0.12 million ($ 2.5 thousand) per
annum (on an IT budget of Rs 2.1 million ($ 44 thousand)).
 I•IC (affiliated with Delhi University) is an institution of higher
education that has adopted FOSS. The tangible and intangible
benefits for an infrastructure of 100 desktops and 5 servers is about
Rs 1.75 million ($ 36 thousand).
SOURCE: Rahul De, IIM Bangalore
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CONCLUSION
सा विद्या या विमक्
ु तये
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(IT IS KNOWLEDGE WHICH LIBERATES)
If I have an apple and you have one, if we exchange our apples, we will still have
one each However if I have an idea and you have another, then when we share our
ideas, each of us will have 2 ideas each. – G B SHAW
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THANK YOU
Contact us at
CDAC, Kolkata
PLOT E-2/1, BLOCK – GP
SECTOR-V, SALT LAKE CITY
KOLKATA – 700 091.
EMAIL: bosslinux@cdackolkata.in
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