An ICT ecosystem is the entire technology environment. It is not just hardware and software. It encompasses the policies, processes, procurement, data, laws, applications, partnerships, standards and stakeholders that together make up a technology environment for a country, a government or an organization. People - those who create, buy, sell, regulate, manage and use technology - are the most important part of any ICT ecosystem.
An open ICT ecosystem brings increased choices, collaboration, innovation and economic opportunities. It impacts access to public information, government procurement, industrial development (especially for small- and medium-sized enterprises), privacy, security, investment policy, intellectual property and economic growth.
Five principles define open ICT ecosystems and guide their evolution. Open ICT ecosystems are: interoperable, user-centric, collaborative, sustainable and flexible. To activate these principles, there are three building blocks of an open ICT ecosystem: open standards, open source and service-orientation.
This APDIP e-Note explains the value of open ICT ecosystems and elaborates on their principles and building blocks in simple terms.
APDIP e-Notes are brief snapshots that present analyses of specific issues related to information and communication technologies (ICTs) for sustainable human development in the Asia-Pacific region. This online series introduces readers to the who, what, where, why and how of a wide range of current issues related to ICTs such as Internet governance, ICTs and poverty alleviation, e-governance, free and open source software, and many others.
Download APDIP e-Note 7 from http://www.apdip.net/apdipenote/7.pdf
