| Xandros Linux cozies up to schools |
Jan. 27, 2006
Xandros Inc. launched a special Education Edition of its flagship Xandros Desktop OS Linux distribution, this week, aimed at students ranging from elementary school through college. Combined with xDMS (Xandros Desktop Deployment and Management Server), Xandros Desktop OS Education Edition provides a full-service, managed alternative to Windows desktops at a fraction of the licensing and administrative costs, the company said.
The new Education Edition, based on a 2.6.11 Linux kernel and a KDE 3.3 desktop, comes set up for network use. It includes VPN support for secure remote access, Active Directory support to tie school desktops into existing Windows networks, and the ability to remotely deploy and manage user desktops, the company said. No previous Linux user or administrator experience is required, the company added.
"Through school surveys and test site feedback, we assembled the mix of features which satisfy both users and the administrators' requirements," said Xandros CEO Andreas Typaldos.
Xandros education sales manager Nick Zagaria told DesktopLinux.com that Xandros was able to put together its new offering in part by "removing StarOffice from the bundled software package, because we had to pay licensing fees on it. Besides, schools can get it for free [from Sun Microsystems]," he said. Instead, Xandros OS Education Edition includes OpenOffice.org 2.0, which supports both Microsoft Office and the new OpenDoc formats.
As part of its education program, the company allows participating schools to freely distribute Xandros Desktop OS Standard Edition to its students and faculty for personal use, Zagaria said.
Zagaria said that the new Xandros edition has been beta-tested in high school and college labs for several months.
Other key features, as listed by Xandros, include:- Xandros Click-N-Connect wireless network AP (Access Point) finder
- Seamless file sharing on a Windows network
- Ximian Evolution, an easy-to-use alternative to Microsoft Outlook
- Firefox browser
Thanks to built-in Xandros Anti-Virus, Xandros Firewall Wizard, encrypted home folders, and secure access to virtual private networks, the Education Edition eliminates the security issues and related frustrations associated with using Windows, the company said.
Availability and pricing
The new edition provides academic institutions, students, and faculty with established brand Linux desktops for as little as $10 per seat, the company said.
"The pricing [structure] is a little complicated," Zagaria said. "An institution would have to acquire several thousand seats to qualify for the $10-per-seat pricing level. Our pricing depends on several factors: number of seats, level of services purchased, whether it's a one-time or yearly licensing agreement, and others."
Qualified academic institutions can purchase single copies of the new Education Edition for $49.95, reduced from the list price of $129.95. That special offer is available here.
Linspire also targeting schools
Back in October, Linspire Inc. launched a low-cost licensing program for schools that wish to install Linux desktops.
Through that program, educators sign up for single copies or per-unit volume license packs of Linspire at special educator rates -- starting at $15 per license. The company also tempted educators with free Linspire Linux evaluation copies.
Related Stories:
(Click here for further information)
|
|
|
Approaching the Linux Desktop
The purpose of this paper is to help organizations evaluate the Linux desktop against their own enterprise needs and discover what benefits the Linux desktop might bring to their organizations.
Migrating To Linux: Application Challenges and Solutions
Several solutions exist to help organizations migrate in an orderly fashion from Windows to Linux desktops. This paper establishes the characteristics of an ideal cross-platform solution and reviews these alternatives in light of this ideal standard. The paper takes a closer look at the pros and cons of various solutions and outlines the business benefits that can be achieved.
Linux Advantages: Publicly Available Information on Linux Software
This paper offers a brief summary of readily-available Linux information to help businesses sort out this widely misunderstood operating system.
Top 5 Strategies for Managing Linux
Despite continuous evolution in the manageability of Linux, a 2006 survey cited manageability concerns as a top reason why organizations are hesitating to adopt Linux. Levanta believes Linux can be as manageable, if not more so, than other operating systems by following key strategies. These strategic recommendations were developed from experiences in numerous customer environments, both large and small.
Why Choose Novell for Linux?
This paper outlines the benefits of switching to the Linux platform and choosing Novell as a high-performance, enterprise solution.
Enterprise Linux Selection Guide
Considering moving your enterprise to the Linux operating system? Since there are so many similar versions, choosing the right one can be tough. This paper offers a clear process to help you make an informed decision and get the features, support, and cost that are right for your business and technical needs.
Overcoming Challenges in Managing Linux
Levanta has created a new administration model with innovative technology that breaks down the barriers to making the most of Linux systems. This paper will provide an in-depth look at the workings of Levanta’s product, the first Linux appliance of its kind.
SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 for Retail Businesses
Discover why major retailers have switched to SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop in the back office. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 is a low-cost desktop that offers a complete set of productivity applications and interoperates seamlessly with the other Windows, Macintosh and UNIX desktops in your store.
Moving to a Linux Desktop
Migrating from Windows to Linux on the desktop can be a substantial undertaking because it has the potential for touching -- and perhaps disrupting -- every user in your organization. Unlike a data center (server and infrastructure) migration that is largely transparent to users, the cultural and administrative transitions and environment readiness required to support a Linux desktop migration are extensive.
Seven Good Reasons to Exchange Exchange
This paper describes seven compelling reasons why you should switch from Exchange to Scalix.
|
|
|
|
|
news feed
