News

The Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS) Workstation Helps Contribute to
E-government in Europe

8 July 2008

Although the GIEWS Workstation was originally developed for managing food security information, it is clear that its tools

"Although the GIEWS Workstation was originally developed for managing food security information, it is clear that its tools can be adapted to other contexts.."

can be adapted to other contexts that require managing a wide variety of information (such as prices, satellite images, GIS maps, etc.) using a networked approach.

The European Commission (EC) has thus recently decided to include the GIEWS Workstation in its Open Source Observatory and Repository (OSOR). This is part of the EC's effort to provide high quality, open source technology for E-government in Europe.

About the Open Source Observatory and Repository (OSOR)

The OSOR initiative aims at encouraging the re-use of publicly-financed Free, Libre, Open-Source Software (FLOSS). European institutions can access a variety of open source software applications through the OSOR website. The OSOR initiative is promoted by the IDABC (Interoperable Delivery of European E-Government Services to Public Administrations, Businesses and Citizens).

What is Free, Libre, Open-Source Software (FLOSS) software? FLOSS software makes its source code available to users and grants them the right to study, change, improve, and adapt it for their own needs without any restrictions.

About the IDABC

The IDABC uses information and communication technologies and applications like the GIEWS Workstation to:

- support the delivery of cross-border public sector services to citizens and enterprises in Europe;

- improve efficiency and collaboration between European public administrations; and

- contribute to making Europe an attractive place in which to live, work and invest.

Promoting state-of-the-art information and communication technologies

By using state-of-the-art information and communication technologies, developing common solutions and services and providing a platform for the exchange of good practice between public administrations, IDABC contributes to modernising the European public sector. The GIEWS Workstation’s objectives, approach and architecture are consistent with the European Commission's software development and implementation strategy.

More information about the GIEWS Workstation: http://www.foodsec.org/workstation/

More information on the :
http://ec.europa.eu/idabc/

The GIEWS Workstation page on the OSOR website: http://forge.osor.eu/projects/fenix/