1 March 2006 - Washington, USA - Open source software has found a permanent home on some college campuses. But according to a study released today by the Alliance for Higher Education Competitiveness, open source products, which enable programmers to modify code and customize programs, have yet to reach the masses of academe.

The survey, based on responses from more than 200 officials who are responsible for software selection at a range of higher education institutions, found that two-thirds of chief information officers said they have "considered or are actively considering" using open source products, while about a quarter of institutions are implementing higher education-specific open source software.

Kenneth Green, founding director of the Campus Computing Project, which studies the role of technology in higher education, calls the mindset regarding open source "affirmative ambivalence." Chief information officers are confident the software will be a part of the future but are still taking a wait-and-see approach, Green said.

Access the Survey results here >>