Institutions of higher education are facing increasing competition for scarce financial resources. At the same time these academic centers must maintain and distinguish those unique qualities that make their institution most attractive to students. Colleges and universities are increasingly aware of the necessity to use technology to meet both the business and academic mission of the institution. Technology provides an open door to create an educational setting that is cost effective, efficient, and promotes a learning environment that will prepare students to be productive citizens and workers in the twenty-first century. Often, open source software (OSS) and open educational resources (OER) are seen as viable options for meeting these challenges.