Indiana Schools Enrolling Open Source

Schools in Indiana have started a Linux pilot project that could lead to every secondary-school student in the state using the open-source operating system, according to software company Linspire. The Indiana Access Program is designed to provide affordable classroom computers for every secondary student. This program makes these systems available with the partnership of Indiana-based companies, benefiting the local Indiana economy.

Linspire, which sells a version of Linux aimed primarily at consumers, said "dozens" of classrooms across Indiana have already deployed the open-source operating system on desktops. If the trial is successful, around 300,000 Linux PCs could be deployed over coming years. This would allow every secondary-school student to have access to a Linux desktop in each classroom they visit during the day.

Proponents of open-source operating systems say school systems can save money by not having to pay the licensing fees associated with non-open source systems, such as those from Microsoft and Apple.