Some schools find Linux a cost-effective alternative to Windows
By Del Stover
9/9/03 -- Faced with perennial budget shortfalls -- and tired of the cost and effort that goes into continual software upgrades -- a small but growing number of school systems are rethinking their reliance on expensive, proprietary software like Microsoft and Apple. They are looking with considerable interest at a low-cost alternative: Linux.
Advocates for Linux claim it can be 70 to 90 percent less expensive than computers relying on Windows, especially when used with a computer network.
"You're going to save so much more money going into Linux, rather than staying with Windows," says Roger Maduro, managing director of Linux Infrastructure LLC, a Virginia-based consulting firm helping schools and businesses make the switch to Linux. "The savings are phenomenal."
In Portland, Ore., where schools are operating under a severe budget crunch, officials used a Linux-based network in 20 new computer labs.
As a result, the cost of each lab was cut to $20,000. That's about half the cost of equipping each lab with desktop computers individually loaded with Windows-based software, officials estimate.
School officials in Dallas are installing StarOffice, a commercial Linux-based rival to Microsoft Office, in 11,000 laptop computers being distributed to teachers and librarians. Officials anticipate significant savings in licensing fees.
Such cost savings are possible, say technology experts, because Linux is part of the open-source-code movement, an effort to freely distribute applications for computers. Even commercial products based on Linux are generally much cheaper than Microsoft or Apple-based products.
"I'm not sure StarOffice has 100 percent of the functions and features of Microsoft Office," says Ruben Bohuchot, associate superintendent and chief technical officer for the Dallas school district. "But I wouldn't be surprised if we use 5 percent of Office's features, and if StarOffice is 50 percent of the product . . . it's a viable product for us."
Costs also are lower because Linux-based products generally do not need frequent upgrades, experts say. And by using a networked system -- with "dumb terminals" tied to a Linux-based server -- schools can employ fewer technology specialists.
Linux-based computer labs "put us in a situation where we can remotely manage those upgrades and services from our central office," says Scott Robinson, chief technology officer for the Portland schools. "Literally overnight, if we want to upgrade the software, we can upgrade all 20 servers." (A similarly designed computer network using a Windows or Apple-based operating system also would realize savings.)
Harry McGregor, president of the Open Source Education Foundation, predicts a noticeable shift to Linux in the next three to five years. He tells of one school system with 6,000 desktop computers that spent a quarter of a million dollars on licensing. "That's the equivalent of six teachers," he says.
However, instead of wholesale conversions to Linux, school officials are more likely to see a mix of Linux with Windows and Apple products. With appropriate software, officials could use Linux-based StarOffice on a Windows platform or put Apple software on a Linux-based server.
Already, Apple is advertising the ability of its new operating system, OS X, to coexist with such products. Overseas, where Linux is making striking inroads, Microsoft is responding with significant cost reductions.
Despite the optimism of Linux advocates, several factors preclude a widescale conversion: a shortage of school technicians trained in Linux, a limited supply of competitive software, and a lack of customer support for many products.
There also is a fear factor, says Ann Flynn, NSBA's director of education technology. "A lot of education technology people just found themselves in fairly technical positions, and for many of them, the only thing they know is the Microsoft environment. So, even if there are real advantages to this, it's scary to change."
But interest in Linux appears to be growing, Flynn says. "At our last T+L Conference, our Linux sessions were packed. Linux is entering into many more conversations about school technology."
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| Reproduced with permission from the 2003 issue of School Board News. Copyright © 2003, National School Boards Association. Opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect positions of NSBA. This article may be printed out and photocopied for individual or educational use, provided this copyright notice appears on each copy. This article may not be otherwise transmitted or reproduced in print or electronic form without the consent of the Publisher. For more information, call (703) 838-6789. |