IT and education: Russian schools to receive a present from Microsoft

Microsoft has launched a free delivery of Windows 7 to schools of Russia: within April 54,000 schools will get an opportunity to install this software on all their school computers for free. 

Delivery of CDs has been mounted within the framework of the project “First Aid”, being a part of the National project “Education”. The installation disc will include the localized version of Windows 7. Together with a Windows 7 distribution disc all schools will receive DVDs with educational materials for pupils, teachers and headmasters, free software products and a guideline — set of interactive courses for using Microsoft Windows 7, Office 2007, Internet services and other technologies in the learning process.

Free licenses for the software will be available by the end 2010.

In the end of the term schools will have a change to accept an offer, developed by Microsoft in the beginning of 2010: the corporation offers a packet consisting of 17 products amounting to $8 for one computer per year. “As compared with commercial products a discount for schools totals 90%”, — Microsoft’s press service informed.