Cutting computer costs

Has your company thought about server virtualization? What about thin clients? Or open-source software?

Don't have a clue what that means? Maybe you should go back to school -- starting with Windsor Creek Elementary School.

Administrators there have turned the school for second- and third-graders into a testing ground for the latest technology to manage computer networks.

The cash-strapped school has largely ditched more-expensive Microsoft products. In their place, it has implemented cutting-edge technology that relies on open-source software to better connect teachers, students and parents.

"We took a chance. And we are very happy that we did," said principal Maureen Grafeld. "I think it's the way that most other school districts, and even businesses, are going to head because it's cost-effective."

The school's improved network lets teachers file report cards from home, or check their e-mail on the go. And it will soon let parents check their students' test scores and attendance online, or order bus passes and meal tickets through the school's Web site.

The elementary school's new network is part of a larger strategy by the Windsor Unified School District.

The district is attempting to build a sustainable, scalable network that will last a decade or more, and at the same time take advantage of new cost-saving technology, said Heather Carver, who is spearheading the effort as director of technology for the district.

Windsor Unified expects to save about a half-million dollars during the next two years using open-source software and equipment.

Carver's technology initiatives have drawn national attention from businesses, schools and lawmakers. All are interested in how to deploy needed technology in a time of tight budgets.

"We are looking at ways, just like businesses are, to consolidate and not pay all those licensing fees," Carver said.

Free software

For instance, Carver estimates the district is saving $50,000 a year by using free software such as OpenOffice.org, which has mostly replaced Microsoft Office across all seven schools in the 5,200-student district. The district is also installing the open-source operating system Linux, which replaces Microsoft Windows.

Linux is a freely distributed operating system that has been gaining traction in the corporate environment -- especially for running on servers.

While Linux is distributed free, a sizable market has grown up around it. Sales of Linux-related hardware, software and services surpassed $21 billion in 2007, up nearly 50 percent from the previous year, according to estimates by IDC, a research firm.

Companies like Red Hat and Novell distribute Linux and charge companies for technical support and maintenance.

Wal-Mart.com even started selling a desktop computer with Linux installed for $199 -- the cheapest computer it offers.

More innovations

But Windsor Unified's innovations go beyond just using open-source software -- thus named because its source code can be viewed and altered.

At both Windsor Creek and Brooks Elementary School, the district has also replaced most traditional computers with so-called thin clients, which are less expensive and consume less power.

Thin clients are little more than a monitor and keyboard connected to a server.

The server, which is essentially a centralized computer for up to 40 monitors, runs applications such as Internet browsers, word processors or educational software and then sends the results back to classroom and desktop monitors.

The server replaces the individual, rectangular computer boxes most people have at home and in their offices. A server usually resides in a black cabinet about the size of a bedroom armoire, and can be located in an air-conditioned utility closet far from the classroom.

A thin client acts like a really long extension cord that connects your monitor to the far-removed server.

Technically, it is a piece of hardware about the size of a cable or DSL modem that affixes to the back of the monitor and connects to the server with an ethernet cable. It doesn't have a CD-ROM, hard drive, cooling fans or other periphery, thus saving costs and consuming less energy.

Thin clients have USB ports, which students and teachers can use to save data on pen drives, hook up an external CD-ROM or connect other equipment such as a digital camera.

Energy savings

Windsor Unified thinks it can save $25,000 a year in energy costs by using thin clients, said Superintendent Steven Herrington. It plans to equip all seven school sites within two years -- from teachers' desks to most computer labs.

Additionally, the district hopes to save about $280,000 in equipment costs by replacing half of its 2,500 computers with the less-expensive thin clients, Carver said.

In total, it will reduce equipment purchases, licensing fees and energy costs by more than $425,000 over the next two years, according to Carver.

That is a big help during a time when school districts are being forced to lay off teachers or even close whole schools because of funding constraints.

"It saves money we can put somewhere else," Carver said.

Of course, new investment in technology requires upfront costs. The district is funding its initiatives with the Measure B bond that Windsor voters approved in 2006, Herrington said.

Besides startup costs, there are other downsides. Carver and teachers have struggled to get some much-desired software such as Kid Pix, an education program popular with teachers, to run on the servers.

Productivity can also dip as teachers and staff grapple with new technology.

"Change is always difficult for anyone. And with technology, if you're not familiar with it, it adds another level of discomfort," said Donna Tom, who teaches third grade at Windsor Creek.

Better workflow

But Tom described the improved workflow provided by the integrated network as "wonderful." One example is the formerly painstaking process of taking attendance. It is now mostly automated.

Tom takes attendance at the beginning of class, enters it into the thin client computer on her desk, and it automatically goes into the school's database, which aggregates and outputs attendance numbers for report cards automatically.

In the past, attendance was taken in the classroom, then a student walked it down to the office, where secretaries inputted each classes' data every day. They would have to go back into the database at semester's end to generate class attendance for report cards.

Herrington said he recommends the district's new network setup to other schools, although he suggests surveying teachers to assess what kind of software and setup they want.

"We have to address technology and infrastructure," he said. "You realize that today's kindergarten students are the class of 2021. So you've got to be there."

You can reach Staff Writer Nathan Halverson at 521-5494 or nathan.halverson@pressdemocrat.com.