The name Maavis was originally an acronym for "Managed Access to Audio, Visual and Information Services". It is available under the GPL
open source licence meaning you can download it and use it for any
purpose without having to purchase a licence. You are also free to copy,
redistribute and study it. Modifications and derived works can be
distributed under the terms of the GPL, though we encourage you to join our community and work with us. Maavis builds on other open source technologies, specifically; Mozilla Firefox (PortableApps version), VLC, Outfox and Python. It is implemented as a Firefox add-on, which has full access to the extensive features of the Mozilla Application Framework.
The VLC media player plugin for Firefox provides access to most media
formats. Outfox provides access to Python software that in turn provides
features such as the video conferencing access, and switch access. The Maavis project originates from University of Sheffield's past Advanced Care Technologies Programme (see archived website) as
a research project investigating technology use for social purposes by
older people living in a care environment. A prototype system was used
for field testing and this lead to the specification and development of
this open source project. A subsequent phase added switch support to be
used in school and educational contexts. We aim to develop Maavis further through collaboration with all interested parties and OSS Watch are providing advice on how to maximise the benefits of open development, including community engagement. |