Untangle & ACCRC Installfest Refurbishes 750 Computers for Schools
Untangle & ACCRC Installfest Refurbishes 750 Computers for Schools
SAN MATEO, Calif. – Aug 12, 2008 – Untangle and the Alameda County Computer Resource Center (ACCRC) announced today the results of last week’s Installfest for Schools, which took place during the 2008 LinuxWorld Conference & Expo. Dozens of volunteers worked together to refurbish 750 discarded computers with Free and Open Source Software (F/OSS).
The primary goal of the Installfest for Schools was to help underprivileged schools provide their students with the same classroom technology as those in more affluent districts. However, refurbishment also has environmental benefits because each computer contains toxic electronic waste that reuse diverts from landfills. “The Installfest embodies the spirit of Ubuntu and benefits of Open Source with practical, meaningful social impact,” said Richard Weidemann, Canonical’s education program manager. “Schools can now have unrestricted access to world class education software and teaching tools available on Ubuntu, installed on donated and refurbished computers.” “I’m delighted that Ubuntu can give these computers a second life with deserving new owners,” added Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu. “Open Source software is sweeping the education world as people wake up to its potential to allow education budgets to be redirected to areas of greatest need, like more teachers and better school buildings.” The Installfest for Schools, was the largest charitable activity ever undertaken by LinuxWorld and featured help from the No Starch Press, Mozilla, Ubuntu/Canonical, Creative Commons and GES. The No Starch Press donated PDF copies of “Ubuntu for non-Geeks” that were loaded onto every computer, while Mozilla, Ubuntu/Canonical and Creative Commons helped drive participation and donated schwag to volunteers. GES, the exhibitor services provider for LinuxWorld, donated labor to move the computers on and off the show floor.”This Installfest showcases the drive, passion, and commitment of the open source community at large,” said Andrew Fife, product marketing manager at Untangle. “We were able to refurbish a record number of computers because of all the GNU/Linux users at the LinuxWorld Expo who were willing to lend both their time and expertise to the effort.”
About Untangle
Untangle was founded with the vision of untangling the complexities of technology, initially targeting
network security and control for small and medium size businesses. The company follows Open Source development practices to create better code and make it widely available. The Untangle Gateway Platform, the world’s first commercial-grade open source solution for blocking spam, spyware, viruses, adware and unwanted content on the network, provides a free and better alternative to costly, inflexible proprietary
appliances. Untangle’s applications are currently being used in thousands of businesses in a variety of industries, including financial services, real estate, education, bio-science, and professional
services.
About ACCRC
The Alameda County Computer Resource Center (ACCRC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
electronics recycler (Tax ID 68-0395504) with a two part mission:
- Keeping toxic electronic waste from landfills
- Helping bridge the digital divide through free and open source software.
In order to achieve these goals, the ACCRC collects electronic waste from the public with out charging any fees and refurbishes discarded computer equipment with Ubuntu in order to be donated to schools, non-profits and economically and/or physically disadvantaged individuals. The ACCRC’s sister organization, the Marin Computer Resource Center, operates out of Novato, California.
About LinuxWorld Conference & Expo
LinuxWorld Conference & Expo is the premier event exclusively focused on Linux and open source solutions. As the world’s most comprehensive marketplace for open source products and services, LinuxWorld provides business decision-makers with information and resources to implement Linux and open source solutions into business infrastructure and enterprise networks.
