Order Free Open Solaris CD

Click here to order free Open Solaris CD

Take on Gates, Kalam tells Indian techies

PUNE: A few months after a disagreement with Microsoft CEO Bill Gates on the issue of software security, President A P J Abdul Kalam on Wednesday called on Indian IT professionals to specialise in open source software rather than relying on proprietary solutions.

Many governments and companies have been increasingly attracted to open source software like Linux. Proprietary software like Microsoft Windows are not free for the user — some governments also feel more secure with an open source system.

Kalam made this clarion call after a tour of the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), at the Software Technology Park, Pune, which was dedicated to the nation on Wednesday.

On the extensive use of MS Windows at the institute, Kalam said, "The most unfortunate thing is that India still seems to believe in proprietary solutions. Further spread of IT, which is influencing the daily life of individuals, will have a devastating effect on the lives of society due to any small shift in the business practice involving these proprietary solutions. It is precisely for these reasons open source software needs to be built which will be cost effective for the entire society," said Kalam.

On his differences with Gates, Kalam said, "Our discussions became difficult since our views were different."

He also said there is a need for a "national citizen card" for multiple uses such as voter ID card, bank operations card and ration card. India should emerge not only as a software industry, but as an "ICT (Information and communication technology) industry".

Kalam about Leadership

Let me tell you about my experience. In 1973 I became the project director of India's satellite launch vehicle program, commonly called the SLV-3. Our goal was to put India's "Rohini" satellite into orbit by 1980. I was given funds and human resources -- but was told clearly that by 1980 we had to launch the satellite into space. Thousands of people worked together in scientific and technical teams towards that goal.

By 1979 -- I think the month was August -- we thought we were ready. As the project director, I went to the control center for the launch. At four minutes before the satellite launch, the computer began to go through the checklist of items that needed to be checked. One minute later, the computer program put the launch on hold; the display showed that some control components were not in order. My experts -- I had four or five of them with me -- told me not to worry; they had done their calculations and there was enough reserve fuel. So I bypassed the computer, switched to manual mode, and launched the rocket. In the first stage, everything worked fine. In the second stage, a problem developed. Instead of the satellite going into orbit, the whole rocket system plunged into the Bay of Bengal. It was a big failure.

That day, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, Prof. Satish Dhawan, had called a press conference. The launch was at 7:00 am, and the press conference -- where journalists from around the world were present -- was at 7:45 am at ISRO's satellite launch range in Sriharikota [in Andhra Pradesh in southern India]. Prof. Dhawan, the leader of the organization, conducted the press conference himself. He took responsibility for the failure -- he said that the team had worked very hard, but that it needed more technological support. He assured the media that in another year, the team would definitely succeed. Now, I was the project director, and it was my failure, but instead, he took responsibility for the failure as chairman of the organization.

The next year, in July 1980, we tried again to launch the satellite -- and this time we succeeded. The whole nation was jubilant. Again, there was a press conference. Prof. Dhawan called me aside and told me, "You conduct the press conference today."

I learned a very important lesson that day. When failure occurred, the leader of the organization owned that failure. When success came, he gave it to his team. The best management lesson I have learned did not come to me from reading a book; it came from that experience.

-- Dr. A.P.J. ABDUL KALAM