BBC NEWS | Business | Brazil adopts open-source software

“Open-source alternatives are a great opportunity for developing countries,” says Jose Luiz de Cerqueira Cesar, head of IT at Banco do Brasil. “If computer users within a geographical region pool their expertise, they can develop software that is perfectly suited to their needs.”

Mr Cerqueira Cesar is a leading light behind the newly-created “Global Organisation for Free Software,” which has been set up by a broad coalition of Brazilian businesses and NGOs. More details are being released this week at an International Forum on Free Software, in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre.