mchauvet's Quotes

April plays a fundamental role in promoting the use of Free Software within the government, the industry and education. Quality alternatives to proprietary software exist, and thanks to April's efforts, we know more about them. AdaCore also benefits from its participation in the network of people and companies sharing a common vision that constitutes April.

We believe that April plays an extremely important role in the French Free Software ecosystem. Its main actions, advocacy and promotion, are essential for us. Even if we are not always in perfect agreement with some ideas, joining April allows us to participate to the debate and push it forward, in order to maintain this technical and economic model viable and reliable. For example, for a company such as ours that is heavily promoting a European technological independence, April's actions in favor of open standards are a tremendous support.

In France April plays a unique role for the promotion and defense of Free Software and its various stakeholders. Computer freedom is a societal issue and it is essential today more than ever to support it by joining April. I encourage all computer freedom loving citizens join now April.

As a European service company, Steria has always been willing to fully engage as an actor of the Free Software community. In addition to our references, our partnerships reflect this commitment. It is this same desire that led us to join April as early as 2006, because it plays in our view a fundamental role in promoting Free-related topics amongst industrialists and the general public.

I am very pleased that April be awarded today because it is fully justified. It perfectly reflects the commitment and voluntarism that its members have demonstrated at events whose impact is unknown to most of us. I had the opportunity to see the commitment of April during the debate on OOXML, especially through their action to alert politicians regarding the potential consequences of changing the users' ability to choose. This is a recurring problem, fervently and regularly defended by April.

April plays an essential role in the development of Free Software in France, and thus indirectly to the economic future of our country. Thanks to the passion of its members, this organization has become indispensable representative for officials. The rapid increase in April's memberships will strengthen the voice of economic players as well as of individuals, in a country where the Free Software adoption rate of 24% places us at the top of the charts.

Since its inception, April has always been there to keep our minds alert when it comes to protect, improve and learn about the Free Software ecosystem. It would be interesting to think about what would be the position of Free Software in France if April had not been there and done all this work on the political and technological grounds... Our country's lead and recognition in this area owes much to April and its ability to mobilize the energy of other actors at all critical moments of the short and intense history of Free Software.

April is not just an association that defends Free Software; such a statement would leave aside its unbelievable efficiency, which is the result of a rigorous and unfailing aspiration in the daily struggle and promotion. April has become the leading Free-related association in France. But this would ignore the work done in its entirety in a society beset by influential actions of all sides; this would ignore the fight for the freedom of each and every one.

Since the 80's, it is a commonplace to say that the "digital revolution" has profoundly affected human societies. But the fascination with the technical power should never make us lose sight of the ambivalence of technology itself: technology is only worth what for and by whom it is used. Technical progress is only worth something thanks to humankind. And this is April's great merit: not to promote technology for the sake of technology but to promote the development of Free Software aiming for a society defending cooperation and humanistic values.

Representative of the Free Software ecosystem, composed of 2.500 users, companies and institutional players, April fulfills with dynamism its mission of promotion and defense of Free Software in France. Its campaign activities, its participation in numerous work-groups or its evangelization make of April a citizen player to serve the community and businesses. Its positions on political issues dealing with the Free-Software-related economy are essential for the survival and development of our society.