Government authorities in the Indian State of Kerala will save more $US2.27 million by using Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) on computers to be installed in schools throughout the state as part of an $US11.7 million (Rs.57 Crore) expansion to its IT@School project.

An additional 11,065 laptop and desktop computers, along with a range of other technological teaching aids are to be installed under the program, expanding the current 1,016 schools involved to 3,055.

K Anvar Sadath, the project’s executive director, said if proprietary software were used at least $US2.27 million (Rs.11 Crore) more would have been needed to fund the project.

The IT@School project provides information communications and technology education to 1.6 million students per year in the state, and is the nodal agency for the EDUSAT network which runs the Virtual Classroom Technology on Edusat for Rural Schools (ViCTERS) education channel.

Pricing alone though was not the only reason FOSS was chosen.

Kerala State Minister of Education, M A Baby, said, the advantage of using FOSS is more than financial.

“There are a number of pragmatic considerations, such as the ability to share knowledge,which makes this a decision that other states can follow,” he said.