01745nas a2200121   4500008004100000022001400041245003700055210003700092260004200129520139500171100002101566856003601587       2008                        eng d  a1913-610200aOSS Spending Trends in Education0 aOSS Spending Trends in Education  aOttawabTalent First Networkc08/20083 aOpen source software (OSS) is becoming more prominent within the education market as more educational institutions turn towards open source as a solution that meets their needs. However, open source is not appropriate for all, and institutions should be cautious about implementing OSS. When adopting open source, institutions should ensure it is a strategic decision and not just a philosophical one.

At Datamonitor, a provider of online data, analytic and forecasting platforms for key vertical sectors, we believe that the role of OSS will become increasingly important in education. The solutions available are becoming more sophisticated and stable. Currently, 56% of education institutions are using OSS and open source is clearly making headway into the education market. Furthermore, there are a number of varying factors driving institutions towards OSS and not all institutions are implementing OSS for the same reason. OSS offers an alternative method through which an institution can implement a technological solution, along with it's own variety of benefits and pitfalls. However, the increased popularity of OSS will not prevent proprietary software solutions from having an important role to play in education. Instead, OSS and proprietary solutions are going to become even more entwined together and the line between open source and proprietary solutions will blur. 
 1 aDavidson, Justin  uhttp://timreview.ca/article/173