LinuxCon North America 2011 | Presentations

The Worlds Largest Linux Desktop Deployment: 500,000 Seats and Counting

This talk discusses key motivators for governments and educators to deploy Linux for large scale Desktop projects, and the long term positive impacts winning these organizations over to Linux will have for the community. The talk also covers a few insights into simple things the Linux community can do to help win over emerging markets to desktop Linux. The talk centers arround a specific case study: the over 500,000 Linux desktops that have been deployed throughout Brazil using Userful's MultiSeat zero-client desktop virtualization software. Started in 2008, the project has now successfully equipped over 50,000 schools in Brazil with over 500,000 MultiSeat Linux desktops, providing millions of school-children with computer access, many for the first time. Well-executed digital inclusion projects are one of the most highly leveraged investments emerging market governments can make in the economic futures for their citizens. The choice of the Linux operating system, and Userful MultiSeat as the deployment platform was key to the project's successful outcomes. The benefits (both short and long term) to the Brazilian economy will be discusssed along with the resulting ecological savings, challenges faced, and lessons learned. The Brazilian example, along with others arround the world provide an excellent model for other nations on how embracing Linux as a platform for digital inclusion can create outstanding results.

Tim Griffin, Userful

The founder and President of Userful Corporation, Tim holds a Masters Degree in Industrial Design and led various consulting and design companies prior to founding Userful. In a former career, Tim also performed and taught as a professional cellist and co-authored a book on the subject.