Most educational computer networks are heterogeneous, consisting of various operating systems, and it is sometimes difficult to configure them to work together. Edubuntu plays well with others.

Edubuntu servers can happily coexist on the same network as other operating systems. OpenOffice.org can open and save many commercial office suite formats. You can even install Edubuntu and another operating system on the same machine. Need to share files between Edubuntu and other operating system or connect to a remote server? Edubuntu does that too.

The Edubuntu developers work hard to make sure that Edubuntu is the most compatible operating system you can find in schools today.

Security has become a key challenge for educators and the team behind Edubuntu recognize this. Often schools lack the specialized IT staff or time to lock and clean up computers.

Edubuntu, being a Linux-based operating system, enjoys the security advantages of its Unix-like and open source heritages. This translates into higher quality code and less spyware and viruses than plague other operating systems. In addition, it has a strict, proactive security policy which means that many common problems, such as open ports or misconfigured software, never make it into the released product. Finally, it is a true multi-user operating system, making it easy to allow users to complete their tasks without having a level of access that could compromise the system.

With teachers and school IT departments deploying and administering an increasing number of computers, it is difficult to find time to manage individual machines. Edubuntu, with the option of using LTSP thin client technology, makes deployment and management simple and easy. A single server is all that is needed to set up, manage and administrate an entire network. The Edubuntu team also recognizes that not every school's setup is the same, so they've made Edubuntu easy to customize for your unique needs.

With ever-increasing demands on school budgets, expensive technology is often last on the list. Edubuntu can help you offer what your students increasingly require from computer technology, without breaking the bank. Edubuntu is and always will be free to acquire, use and modify.

Need to set up another machine? Or another 100? Just install them! With Edubuntu you'll have no more expensive OS upgrades and licenses, and having specialized programs on only some computers will become a thing of the past. When you build your network on Open Source software, you are freed to seek support for your computers from whomever you wish.

Edubuntu can also help you save hardware costs, by allowing you to redeploy older machines as thin clients using LTSP technology.

Edubuntu support is available from both the Edubuntu community and the larger Ubuntu community. Many of the authors of the software included in Edubuntu, including the Edubuntu developers themselves, can be contacted directly via mailing lists and IRC channels.

There are many forms of support available, including mailing lists, Wiki websites, IRC channels, and bug trackers. There is also a special support group for using Edubuntu in schools. Should you want paid support, Canonical, the company which funds Edubuntu and Ubuntu development, can offer assistance, or you can find a local company who offer similar services. In fact, some of the money that would have gone to purchasing software can instead be spent to hire local experts to help train you, and to help you support your network. Edubuntu can help you take more control over your network while also benefitting your local economy. With Edubuntu, these choices are yours.

Above all, Edubuntu is set apart from other operating systems by its unwavering focus on the educational needs of learners all over the world. Edubuntu's motto is "Linux for Young Human Beings" and every development decision and application has that goal in mind.

Edubuntu comes with translations for many languages and localization features that allow people from all over the world to enjoy their computing experience. Edubuntu's accessibility features strive to provide a pleasant, high-quality computing experience to disabled users. The Edubuntu LiveCD makes it easy for pupils to boot their home computers temporarily into Edubuntu and use exactly the same applications that they are using at school. The LTSP server software allows teachers and administrators to create a low cost computer lab so that students can have access to the educational opportunities that Edubuntu and the Internet can provide.