Check out http://richtech.ca/openadmin
In looking at the rediker website, you may be in for an uphill battle.
I am not sure all the administrative capabilities are matched. It is
hard getting School admin folks to differentiate between their
requirements and desirements.
Once you know what they have and really need to do, then alternative
solutions might be able to be put forth. I approached a school with
little success. One of their advisors has a small business which sells
to them .. and yes, he is a Microsoft-only reseller.
ONe option might be to show what OpenAdmin offers that Rediker does not.
I cannot attest the case exists ... just pointing to an option that I
believe exists. Enabling interactin between teachers and parents is
possibly the biggest help to a school from a socializing perspective.
Rich
On Sat, 2006-09-02 at 05:02 +1000, Alan E. Davis wrote:
> My school principal is planning to spend 15K for "Rediker" school
> administration software. I am appalled: we do not have microscopes
> for our science department!
>
> I am a GNU/Linux user. Although I can maintain my personal GNU/Linux
> systems, I am reluctant to attempt anything at the school level.
> There are people at the school who are interested in using, for
> example, Open Office, and some interest in GNU/Linux except not enough
> interest to sit down and learn the system. I have been using
> GNU/Linux for at least 12 years; but I am not expert enough to go to
> the school administration and say, "XYZ free software can do this and
> this and this." Everything I do with GNU/Linux, I am over my head.
>
> I need armament---information to present to tech people and to the
> administration that can convince them that it's not worth it to spend
> 15K, when a system exists that is being used, and is good enough for
> our needs, that is Free or Open Source. We hae a M$ shop, bascially,
> so firmly entrenched (even with awareness of Free Software) that Free
> Software is not taken seriously.
>
> Any responses and links I will use to print materials out, to present
> to our adminstration. "Rediker" is used at other schools, so I think
> that it will be most useful to look at systems that can do what
> Rediker can do, competently.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Alan Davis
> Kagman High School
> Saipan, N. Mariana Islands
>
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