While the Buckeye State's K-12 education establishment is hoping for a federal bailout to keep it afloat, Ohio's state colleges and universities are busy taking real steps to cut costs. Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut recently announced the University System of Ohio Virtualization Program. Through a three-year cooperative purchasing agreement with VMware, Inc. to "virtualize" software and technology support services, colleges and universities in the state will save an estimated $130 million. And the move is good for the environment, too. The agreement is expected to result in eliminating 25,000 computers from college campuses, reducing the University System's CO2 emissions by 111,000 tons, which the Board of Regents says is equivalent to removing 37,500 cars from Ohio's highways or planting 500,000 trees.
