The OpenDocument Format (ODF) Alliance is pleased to present its 2009 awards to Anvar Sadath on behalf of the Kerala education community in recognition of the IT@SCHOOL project, for which Mr. Sadath serves as Executive Director, and Vitorio Furusho, a systems analyst at CELEPAR, a public IT company in the state of Parana, Brazil.

IT@SCHOOL successfully integrated open-source technologies and ODF into the schools and in the process enhanced the productivity of teachers, improved students’ learning capabilities, and increased the management efficiency of school administrators. Through the IT@SCHOOL project schools throughout Kerala state were the first of their kind to systematically deploy ODF in the school-wide curriculum.

Vitorio Furusho has in the course of his 34 year career been tireless in his commitment to the adoption of open IT systems both locally and nationally in Brazil. Furusho coordinates CE21, the ISO/IEC SC34 mirror committee in the Brazilian National Standards Organization (ABNT). Under his leadership, CE21 approved and translated ODF (ISO/IEC 26300:2006) as a Brazilian National Standard. Furusho co-authored Parana’s state law 5742 which requires the use of ODF for editable public documents and Project 3070/2008 in the Brazilian National Congress.

The purpose of the ODF Alliance Award is to recognize the contribution of individuals or entities in promoting ODF adoption, the mission of the ODF Alliance. Nominations were received for individuals and entities who stood out as leaders in advancing ODF in various segments of society including government, education, or community and rural development.