A number of education institutions around the globe are looking towards open source software (OSS) as a means to gain more control over their solutions. A new report gives insight into how OSS is becoming more prominent internationally and goes on to note that if the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) project, aimed at children in the developing world, proves successful it could have a large impact upon the education industry and OSS in turn.

Software lock-in is becoming a particular issue, with higher education institutions feeling that upgrades are forced upon them when they are neither needed nor wanted. A number of institutions believe that proprietary solutions prevent them from effectively sharing their information and methodologies with each other and that by implementing an OSS they can communicate shared learning methods and ideas. By adopting OSS, institutions can more effectively share upgrades and fix glitches in the software, along with other methodologies of software, specifically Learning Management Systems.

The jury is still out on OLPC, but if it proves successful, the program could have profound effects on the purchasing of technology within the education industry. It might force the hand of western technology vendors to ensure they provide affordable services to developing countries. Microsoft is offering a version of its Windows OS to developing countries for US$3. which should help to ensure it maintains a foothold within the developing world. If OLPC becomes more successful it is likely other vendors will seek to gain headway within the developing markets by offering very cheap or free products.

OLPC, to date, is in its infancy. So far it has not been possible to judge its success with assisting developing countries to have widespread adoption of technology within education. However, it is possible that OLPC will have both an impact on education not only within the developing world but also the West, as education institutions look towards it as a way in which they can promote technology within their institution. Vendors need to carefully consider the affect of this potential impact upon their business and how they may respond as education institutions seek to adopt OLPC, or a model similar to it. Importantly for vendors is that they don’t see OLPC as a challenge but an opportunity to further develop and improve the services they offer to education institutions.

Further Reading: Unlikely Bedfellows - Open Source Initiatives and Commercial Vendors in The Education Market