OPEN SOURCE INITIATIVE (OSI) ANNOUNCES NEW AFFILIATE MEMBERS

By Leslie Hawthorn
July 21, 2014

Palo Alto, California — The Open Source Initiative (www.opensource.org) is very pleased to announce The Puerto Rico Python Interest Group (prPIG) has joined the OSI as an Affiliate Member. The prPIG was founded to provide an additional community beyond the limited options of the proprietary software industry in Puerto Rico.  prPIG works to raise awareness and adoption of open source software and development practices  throughout Puerto Rico's technology, government and private sectors where proprietary software development technologies have traditionally dominated.

PRPIG’s mission is to build a sustainable software development user community in Puerto Rico.  To that end, their advocacy and support of open source software development methodologies provides an alternative that champions the power of distributed peer review and transparency of process. "Moving forward, PRPIG intends on continuing to offer free workshops and seminars to educate about and advocate for the benefits of open source," said Kevin Shockey, prPIG's founder. He continued, "To grow our community and increase our reach we will continue to build bridges among different constituencies, focusing especially on high school and university students.  Our belief is that by exposing students to the open source definition, we can illustrate the promise of open source and provide a viable alternative to predatory vendor lock-in."

Patrick Masson, General Manager at the OSI added, "prPIG captures the very essence of the open source movement, where communities of practice self-organize around common goals to share and co-create. I expect the prPIG to set the standard for peer driven development across Puerto Rico while also contributing to the larger Python community."

About the The Puerto Rico Python Interest Group

The Puerto Rico Python Interest Group (prPIG) works to increase the number of software developers and the amount of software written in Puerto Rico. A key goal is to change the paradigm in Puerto Rico, from Information Technology is a cost-center to one that acknowledges the strategic value of IT. You can find out more about the prPIG at www.prpig.org or by follow prPIG on Twitter via @pr_PIG.

About the Open Source Initiative

The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is a California public benefit corporation, with 501(c)3 tax-exempt status, founded in 1998. The OSI is the stewards of the Open Source Definition (OSD) and the community-recognized body for reviewing and approving licenses as OSD-conformant and is also actively involved in Open Source community-building, education, and public advocacy to promote awareness and the importance of non-proprietary software. OSI Board members frequently travel the world to attend Open Source conferences and events, meet with open source developers and users, and to discuss with executives from the public and private sectors about how Open Source technologies, licenses, and models of development can provide economic and strategic advantages.

Press Contact:  press@opensource.org