Linux being launched at schools

The project to install open-source software at schools has been launched in Russia. The first stage involves the tender, which is to be held by the Ministry of Communications, to develop software for the pilot regions. According to the tender procedure the bidders are given a month and a half to assemble and test the distributive. The results of the tender are planned to be announced on November 30th. The winner will get 70 mln. rubles ($ 2.81 mln).

A decisive battle in the fight against piracy at schools and for the software legality has started. The competition to supply schools with the open source software started on October 15th, so on November 30th the results will be announced.


Besides the operating system the package is to comprise some freely distributed programs, close to MS Office by their functionality, which are to be used on computers with the following characteristics: 233 MHz and 128MB DDR.

The new open source software will be tested till 2007 end by the customer, then it is to be examined in three pilot regions within 2008, i.e. in Tomsk Region, Perm Krai and Tatarstan.

That is the second project to fight for the legal software at schools in Russia. The first was initiated in current spring by the Ministry of Communications and was held at approximately the same time with the notorious proceedings on Alexander Ponosov, the school director. According to the Ministry 2.9 bln. budgetary rubles ($ 166.7 mln.) are to be used to legalize the already installed counterfeit software at schools. As there are 760 thousand computers used in Russian schools the given sum does not seem enormous, the expenses per one computer coming to not more than 3800 rubles ($ 153.019).

Legalization of school software for children will not cost much to taxpayers this year. Within the pilot stage the developer will be paid only 70 mln. rubles for the Linux school distributive. The given sum is indicated in the tender procedure on 'the site to post the information about orders', while 720 mln. rubles ( $28.99 mln.) are laid out to implement the Open Source at schools across Russia.

OS Linux is appraised by some people for its reliability and openness, but the others are horrified as it is difficult to install. However, the given OS is gradually replacing MS Windows in European public institutions and at schools. In 2002 670 schools of one of the poorest Spain provinces Estremadura moved to Linux Debian. The French Parliament is moving to Ubuntu Linux since summer 2007 because of security precautions, while French schools approve of Red Hat Enterprise Linux because of economic efficiency. Linux centralized implementation is known to have been carried out in Venezuela, Japan and Cuba.



Shools move to Linux in Japan, Franch, Venezuela and Cuba, so Russia will do the same

There are no less than 5-7 Linux distributives in Russia, which might be used to assemble proper OS for schools. CNews can name two large alliances of Linux vendor companies, each of which was founded especially to promote open source software for schools. One of the alliances consists of Alt Linux, Linux-online, Naumen and Etersoft. It comprises more than 250 open source software vendors. The second founded in a week after the first one consists of Linux Ink, Linux, LinuxCenter, Infra-Resource, Publishing House BHV and Scientific Development and Production Center Set.

Alt Linux, heading the first Alliance, has not put in a bid for the tender yet, but it is sure to do it. The company is not frightened by the short terms for the distributive development. 'We are not embarrassed by the terms, - Andrey Cherepanov, Alt Linux Project Manager says. – We have been long working at Junior, the software for education institutions on the basis of our own distributive. It is being tested now, so soon it will be available through FTP'.

The vendor company Linux Ink has not also put in any bid, but intends to participate in the tender, although Leonid Solms, Linux Ink Director General is rather skeptic about the tender procedure. He points to several blunders in the competi tion task: 'If the distributive is made up in accordance with the technical assignment, no one will need it, - he tells CNews. – The software for a single PC is described there. It is absolutely not supported by the server components. How are they going to administer the process of education using such software? How are they going to manage school as economic institutions? In accordance with the technical assignment nothing of the mentioned should be implemented in the final product'.

Leonid Solms is also embarrassed by the fact that nothing is said in the state order of a multinational country regarding the school software localization. The given issue is also supported by Tatarstan, which is one of the pilot regions to test the software next year. The product, Mr. Solms's company is going to present at the tender, is sure to be free of the mentioned shortcomings.