RDB/IT Policy for Typo3 as CMS for Government Institutions

A new policy from RDB/IT stipulating that all Government institutions Websites should be migrated to the Content Management System, Typo3 and all new Government institutions Websites will only be developed on that platform.
The Rwanda Software Applications Providers and Developers association would like to raise its concerns about this decision by RDB.

1. Several IT companies providing Web development services have been building capacity on several Content Management Systems, among them Joomla and Drupal which are the 2 most used CMS worldwide. The Government being the main customer for these products, it will be a huge loss for those companies as theyll no longer be able to provide services to the Government or will need to reinvest in capacity building to be able to. Without mentioning the loss of references on previously produced work for some of those companies.

2. As we understand, RDB/IT is developing internal capacity on Typo3 to be able to develop those Government Websites. This means that the companies providing Web development services will in future be competing with RDB/IT, which is a Government institution. The Association perceives this as conflict to its mandate to promote the creation of an ICT industry in Rwanda.

In this regard we would like to collect from association members and private sector community, their endorsement to these concerns through signature of this online petition.