DHIS use by international NGO?

Although in the very early stages of deployment, PATH is using (in Zambia) and planning to use DHIS in several other countries in support of malaria surveillance.

···

Sent from my HTC

----- Reply message -----
From: “Knut Staring” knutst@gmail.com
Date: Wed, Jun 29, 2011 13:28
Subject: [Dhis2-users] DHIS use by international NGO?
To: mhspohr@gmail.com
Cc: dhis2-users@lists.launchpad.net

Hi Mark,

Interesting. IRC is using it across countries, in fact I am hosting it for
them on a virtual server.

Regards, Knut (via mobile phone)
On Jun 29, 2011 6:38 PM, “Mark Spohr” mhspohr@gmail.com wrote:

A international NGO is looking for a system collect and manage data from
programs in 8 countries.
I think that DHIS should work well for them.
Does anyone know of an organization using DHIS across countries?


Mark Spohr, MD

Thanks very much for these references. The organization is similar to IRC and knows people in IRC so should be able to contact them for details.
It’s interesting that I still get resistance when I recommend open source software. They seem more comfortable with the financial package that they just spent $500,000 on (and it’s still not running well after two years).

I will keep up the good fight.

Kind regards,
Mark

···

On Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 1:12 PM, jason.p.pickering@gmail.com jason.p.pickering@gmail.com wrote:

Although in the very early stages of deployment, PATH is using (in Zambia) and planning to use DHIS in several other countries in support of malaria surveillance.

Sent from my HTC

----- Reply message -----
From: “Knut Staring” knutst@gmail.com
Date: Wed, Jun 29, 2011 13:28
Subject: [Dhis2-users] DHIS use by international NGO?

To: mhspohr@gmail.com
Cc: dhis2-users@lists.launchpad.net

Hi Mark,

Interesting. IRC is using it across countries, in fact I am hosting it for
them on a virtual server.

Regards, Knut (via mobile phone)

On Jun 29, 2011 6:38 PM, “Mark Spohr” mhspohr@gmail.com wrote:

A international NGO is looking for a system collect and manage data from
programs in 8 countries.
I think that DHIS should work well for them.
Does anyone know of an organization using DHIS across countries?


Mark Spohr, MD


Mark Spohr, MD

Dear Mark,

I think there are not many studies on the cost-benefit of FOSS implementations. My hypothesis is that proprietary systems are charging just about right given that they try to keep the code closed (and therefore need to maintain operational expenses for keeping it locked and controlling all changes centrally). Those will definitely amount to expenses.

On the other hand, a strategy for open source leverages volunteerism but is often plagued with quality concerns (at least here on this side of the globe).

What am I trying to say? I think a comparable FOSS solution will probably cost as much as 500k because you would want to pay for quality support (probably from the core developers), but benefit from “free” services from the community such as test creation, debugging, minor enhancements, etc. Plus of course, full control of source code by the client.

My two cents…

alvin

···

On Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 1:02 AM, Mark Spohr mhspohr@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks very much for these references. The organization is similar to IRC and knows people in IRC so should be able to contact them for details.
It’s interesting that I still get resistance when I recommend open source software. They seem more comfortable with the financial package that they just spent $500,000 on (and it’s still not running well after two years).

I will keep up the good fight.

Kind regards,
Mark

On Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 1:12 PM, jason.p.pickering@gmail.com jason.p.pickering@gmail.com wrote:

Although in the very early stages of deployment, PATH is using (in Zambia) and planning to use DHIS in several other countries in support of malaria surveillance.

Sent from my HTC

----- Reply message -----
From: “Knut Staring” knutst@gmail.com
Date: Wed, Jun 29, 2011 13:28

Subject: [Dhis2-users] DHIS use by international NGO?

To: mhspohr@gmail.com
Cc: dhis2-users@lists.launchpad.net

Hi Mark,

Interesting. IRC is using it across countries, in fact I am hosting it for
them on a virtual server.

Regards, Knut (via mobile phone)

On Jun 29, 2011 6:38 PM, “Mark Spohr” mhspohr@gmail.com wrote:

A international NGO is looking for a system collect and manage data from
programs in 8 countries.
I think that DHIS should work well for them.
Does anyone know of an organization using DHIS across countries?


Mark Spohr, MD


Mark Spohr, MD


Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-users

Post to : dhis2-users@lists.launchpad.net

Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-users

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Alvin B. Marcelo, MD, FPCS
www.alvinmarcelo.com
Voicemail: +1-301-534-0795)
GPG 0x99CBC54C

Just to link this to DHIS2 – I find it wonderful to be able to leverage the Indian and Vietnamese developers to help us out with our needs here in Manila, but I also realize that we (Philippines) should contribute by paying for quality developer-time from them.

···

On Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 5:44 AM, Alvin Marcelo alvin.marcelo@gmail.com wrote:

Dear Mark,

I think there are not many studies on the cost-benefit of FOSS implementations. My hypothesis is that proprietary systems are charging just about right given that they try to keep the code closed (and therefore need to maintain operational expenses for keeping it locked and controlling all changes centrally). Those will definitely amount to expenses.

On the other hand, a strategy for open source leverages volunteerism but is often plagued with quality concerns (at least here on this side of the globe).

What am I trying to say? I think a comparable FOSS solution will probably cost as much as 500k because you would want to pay for quality support (probably from the core developers), but benefit from “free” services from the community such as test creation, debugging, minor enhancements, etc. Plus of course, full control of source code by the client.

My two cents…

alvin

On Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 1:02 AM, Mark Spohr mhspohr@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks very much for these references. The organization is similar to IRC and knows people in IRC so should be able to contact them for details.
It’s interesting that I still get resistance when I recommend open source software. They seem more comfortable with the financial package that they just spent $500,000 on (and it’s still not running well after two years).

I will keep up the good fight.

Kind regards,
Mark

On Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 1:12 PM, jason.p.pickering@gmail.com jason.p.pickering@gmail.com wrote:

Although in the very early stages of deployment, PATH is using (in Zambia) and planning to use DHIS in several other countries in support of malaria surveillance.

Sent from my HTC

----- Reply message -----
From: “Knut Staring” knutst@gmail.com
Date: Wed, Jun 29, 2011 13:28

Subject: [Dhis2-users] DHIS use by international NGO?

To: mhspohr@gmail.com
Cc: dhis2-users@lists.launchpad.net

Hi Mark,

Interesting. IRC is using it across countries, in fact I am hosting it for
them on a virtual server.

Regards, Knut (via mobile phone)

On Jun 29, 2011 6:38 PM, “Mark Spohr” mhspohr@gmail.com wrote:

A international NGO is looking for a system collect and manage data from
programs in 8 countries.
I think that DHIS should work well for them.
Does anyone know of an organization using DHIS across countries?


Mark Spohr, MD


Mark Spohr, MD


Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-users

Post to : dhis2-users@lists.launchpad.net

Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-users

More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp


Alvin B. Marcelo, MD, FPCS
www.alvinmarcelo.com
Voicemail: +1-301-534-0795)

GPG 0x99CBC54C


Alvin B. Marcelo, MD, FPCS
www.alvinmarcelo.com
Voicemail: +1-301-534-0795)
GPG 0x99CBC54C

I was being facetious in my $500,000 comment.
The DHIS software is probably worth $500,000 and the full costs of implementation and training for an organization are significant. The savings come from being able to leverage the development work of others (and to contribute your changes back to the project.)

DHIS is quality software which is mature and well supported. Many open source projects are not as good as DHIS.

Hopefully I can recruit another organization to use it and to contribute back.

All the best,

Mark

···

On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 2:44 PM, Alvin Marcelo alvin.marcelo@gmail.com wrote:

Dear Mark,

I think there are not many studies on the cost-benefit of FOSS implementations. My hypothesis is that proprietary systems are charging just about right given that they try to keep the code closed (and therefore need to maintain operational expenses for keeping it locked and controlling all changes centrally). Those will definitely amount to expenses.

On the other hand, a strategy for open source leverages volunteerism but is often plagued with quality concerns (at least here on this side of the globe).

What am I trying to say? I think a comparable FOSS solution will probably cost as much as 500k because you would want to pay for quality support (probably from the core developers), but benefit from “free” services from the community such as test creation, debugging, minor enhancements, etc. Plus of course, full control of source code by the client.

My two cents…

alvin

On Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 1:02 AM, Mark Spohr mhspohr@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks very much for these references. The organization is similar to IRC and knows people in IRC so should be able to contact them for details.
It’s interesting that I still get resistance when I recommend open source software. They seem more comfortable with the financial package that they just spent $500,000 on (and it’s still not running well after two years).

I will keep up the good fight.

Kind regards,
Mark

On Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 1:12 PM, jason.p.pickering@gmail.com jason.p.pickering@gmail.com wrote:

Although in the very early stages of deployment, PATH is using (in Zambia) and planning to use DHIS in several other countries in support of malaria surveillance.

Sent from my HTC

----- Reply message -----
From: “Knut Staring” knutst@gmail.com
Date: Wed, Jun 29, 2011 13:28

Subject: [Dhis2-users] DHIS use by international NGO?

To: mhspohr@gmail.com
Cc: dhis2-users@lists.launchpad.net

Hi Mark,

Interesting. IRC is using it across countries, in fact I am hosting it for
them on a virtual server.

Regards, Knut (via mobile phone)

On Jun 29, 2011 6:38 PM, “Mark Spohr” mhspohr@gmail.com wrote:

A international NGO is looking for a system collect and manage data from
programs in 8 countries.
I think that DHIS should work well for them.
Does anyone know of an organization using DHIS across countries?


Mark Spohr, MD


Mark Spohr, MD


Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-users

Post to : dhis2-users@lists.launchpad.net

Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-users

More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp


Alvin B. Marcelo, MD, FPCS
www.alvinmarcelo.com
Voicemail: +1-301-534-0795)

GPG 0x99CBC54C


Mark Spohr, MD