Case Study: Novell South Africa Deploys 2,205 SUSE Linux Desktops in 105 Schools with Userful Multiplier™*

A Case Study by Omni Technology Solutions, a Userful Partner

Overview

Students in South Africa South Africa has 27,781 schools to serve over 12 million students across the country. A challenge faced by all African governments is how to deploy the most cost-effective desktops in their computer labs.

Improved computer access in K-12 schools and post-secondary institutions leads to a more skilled workforce, a narrower "digital divide", a more diversified economy, and wider participation among all citizens in the knowledge-based economy.

South Africa's North West Province is taking a leadership role in helping their students cross the digital divide. They were looking for the best way to deploy 2,205 desktop computers in 105 of their schools. The government contacted Pinnacle Micro, one of Novell South Africa's major OEM hardware partners, for a proposal that would meet their objectives.

Pinnacle and Novell South Africa proposed a very low-cost, high-performance Linux desktop solution that allows 21 students to work at the same time on three SUSE Linux desktop computers. Yes, that is correct--three PCs per school, each allowing seven students to have their own monitor, keyboard and mouse with full access to the educational applications on the system.

The Challenges

The North West Province, like other provincial governments in South Africa, face the challenge of determining how to best:

Deploy and manage computer desktops in a large number of schools across a wide geographic area
Maximize their IT budget (computers, software, maintenance, technical support)
Reduce software licensing costs
Reduce the expense and down-time of computer viruses and malicious spyware
Create computer labs that require very little electricity in rural areas
Reduce computer waste and pollution
Provide training for teachers who are new to using computers
Deliver an easy-to-use desktop solution
Ensure computers are secure from viruses and spyware

The Solution

Pinnacle and Novell South Africa proposed and piloted a "multiplied" SUSE Linux Desktop strategy. Novell’s SUSE Linux Desktop is a secure, full-featured desktop operating system that costs a fraction of Microsoft Windows XP. SUSE Linux comes bundled with OpenOffice (compatible with Microsoft Office) and a number of educational applications.

Novell South Africa used Omni's Linux Desktop Multiplier, powered by Userful, to reduce hardware costs by leveraging three SUSE Linux computers per school instead of deploying 21 individual computers. The "7-for-1" Linux Desktop Multiplier solution presented an immediate cost savings on hardware and software. The long-term cost savings of decreased electrical; maintenance and management costs will ensure the long-term viability of this project. Novell South Africa has prepared a strategy to train teachers how to use SUSE Linux, OpenOffice and the educational applications. This training component is a very important to the success of the project.

The Results

A two-month pilot project with three schools enabled the North West Province to determine the feasibility of a "Multiplied" Linux Desktop solution. Based on the successful results of the pilot project, SUSE Linux and the Linux Desktop Multiplier were selected for 105 schools.

With the solid team effort of Novell South Africa, Pinnacle, Omni and a number of other partners, 2,205 SUSE Linux desktops were deployed in 105 schools in 60 days. Novell South Africa is working with the schools in the North West Province to provide training for teachers, demonstrating their commitment to the project’s success.

Based on the success of this project, Novell South Africa, Pinacle and other strategic partners are proposing this solution to other South African provinces and African countries that are looking to take advantage of this "10-for-1" advantage on deploying Linux desktops in their schools' computer labs. Userful Multiplier™* provides up to 10 workstations from a single computer box using standard 10 monitors, mice and keyboards, reducing total cost of ownership.

*formerly Desktop Multiplier