CReSED (CloudReady Secure Education Distribution) is an operating system that transforms a school's existing computers — including those no longer supported by Windows 11 — into fast, secure, classroom-ready devices. It is designed to work reliably in metropolitan, regional, and rural settings, with or without an internet connection.
CReSED was developed in response to a practical problem that Australian schools have been asked to solve on their own: how to keep teaching well with the computers they already have.
When Windows 11 was released, millions of school computers in Australia became technically unsupported overnight. Many of these machines were less than a decade old, still functional, and still capable of serving classrooms for years to come. Replacing them has never been affordable at scale, and sending them to landfill has never been acceptable — environmentally, financially, or educationally.
CReSED offers a third option. It replaces the computer's operating system entirely, restoring performance on older hardware and giving schools a complete, self-contained environment for teaching, learning, and administration. Everything a classroom needs — office applications, creative tools, coding environments, 25 pre-installed STEM programs, secure logins, file sharing, and professional-grade security — is included in a single install.
The platform was built with the realities of Australian schools in mind. Internet connectivity is often unreliable outside major centres. IT support is frequently shared between classroom teachers and administrative staff. Budgets are stretched across curriculum, facilities, and technology in ways that rarely leave room for large-scale hardware refreshes. CReSED is designed to work within these constraints, not against them.
The school IT landscape in Australia has been shaped by decisions made elsewhere. Operating system upgrade cycles, licensing models, and cloud-platform dependencies are set by international vendors whose business models assume continuous hardware renewal and reliable high-speed internet. These assumptions do not hold for a substantial portion of the country's schools.
The effect has been cumulative. Machines that can no longer run current software are retired prematurely. Teachers are asked to rely on cloud tools that stop working when connectivity fails. Subscription costs compound year on year, often without a corresponding improvement in day-to-day reliability. The schools least able to absorb these pressures — small, rural, remote, and under-resourced — are affected most directly.
CReSED was developed with that reality as its starting point. It is built on a hardened Linux foundation, pre-configured for education use, and deliberately designed so that a classroom teacher with no specialist IT background can install, maintain, and extend it. The software stack is chosen for reliability rather than novelty. The licensing model is transparent and capped. The data belongs to the school.
This is not a product intended to replace every system a school already uses. Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace continue to work seamlessly within the included browser. Existing accounts, email addresses, and cloud storage remain in place. CReSED's role is to provide a stable, fast, local foundation beneath those tools — one that extends the useful life of existing hardware by several years and removes the need to treat unreliable internet as a barrier to learning.
Most schools currently pay for computing capability across three or four separate budget lines: antivirus licensing, productivity-suite subscriptions, a hardware-refresh reserve, and various third-party support contracts. CReSED consolidates most of these into a single annual subscription with transparent, capped pricing.
The exact saving varies by school, existing contracts, and the age of the hardware. Most schools we've worked with find the subscription recovers its cost before the end of the first term — often on the antivirus line alone.
CReSED is a full operating system, not an application layer or a browser extension. When installed, it replaces the previous operating system entirely. What follows is an explanation of each major capability, what it does, and what it means for a school day-to-day.
CReSED installs as the primary operating system on a school computer. It is not run inside Windows or layered on top of an existing install. This matters because it means the machine no longer carries the performance overhead of older commercial operating systems.
On hardware that previously ran Windows 10 slowly — a boot time of four to six minutes is not uncommon on ageing classroom PCs — CReSED typically boots in under thirty seconds and runs modern office, coding, and multimedia applications smoothly. The performance improvement is most pronounced on machines seven to ten years old, which are precisely the devices schools are being asked to retire.
A complete office suite is included with every installation, covering word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations. The suite maintains full compatibility with Microsoft file formats, so documents created in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint open, edit, and save without difficulty.
Schools continuing to use Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace in the browser can do so without changing their workflow. The local office suite is there for the many occasions when the internet is unavailable, or when speed and simplicity matter more than cloud features.
CReSED ships with twenty-five industry-standard STEM programs already installed and ready to use — the same applications students will encounter when they progress to university study in engineering, science, computer science, design, and the geosciences.
This reflects a deliberate choice to prepare students for tertiary education rather than for a closed classroom ecosystem. A student learning Python, R, Arduino, or CAD tools in Year 9 is not learning "school software" that will be abandoned at graduation. They are learning the tools they will continue to use. A full overview is provided in Section 05.
Professional-grade creative tools are included for design, photography, video, and audio production. GIMP provides capability equivalent to a full image editor for art, design, and multimedia classes. OpenShot supports non-linear video editing with transitions, audio tracks, and export formats suitable for the web, USB sharing, or school showcases. Audacity supports multitrack audio work for podcasts, music, and media production.
CReSED includes a local directory service — functionally similar to Microsoft Active Directory — that runs on a small school server. This is the foundation of reliable school computing in places where internet access is intermittent.
Student and staff logins, file storage, shared drives, and classroom folders all operate locally. When the internet is available, the system syncs transparently with cloud services. When it is unavailable, the school continues to function exactly as it does normally. There are no lockouts, no inaccessible files, and no cancelled lessons as a result of a dropped connection.
Most day-to-day IT tasks in a school are simple in principle but slow in practice: resetting a forgotten password, adding a new student to a class folder, organising a shared drive for a year group. CReSED provides a dashboard designed specifically for the people who perform these tasks — often teachers themselves.
There are no command-line tools required. Administrators can create and manage users by name, email, and role. Teachers can reset student passwords from their own panel, access class folders, and organise group resources. All actions are logged and remain auditable by the school administrator.
CReSED is based on a hardened Linux foundation, which is naturally resistant to the viruses and ransomware that target Windows systems. Each user account operates in an isolated workspace, so one account cannot affect another. Security and stability updates are delivered automatically without interrupting lessons. Traditional antivirus software is not required — a saving schools notice immediately on their budget line.
The system includes no telemetry, advertising, or data-collection infrastructure. It does not send usage information, search data, or analytics to third parties. All student and staff data remains on the school's local server or drives unless administrators explicitly connect external cloud services. The system aligns with the intent of the Australian Privacy Principles, and its open-source foundation means its security and privacy claims can be independently audited.
CReSED is designed to work alongside the platforms schools already use. Microsoft 365 (including Word, Excel, Teams, and OneDrive) and Google Workspace (including Drive, Docs, Classroom, and Sheets) all run in the included browser without modification.
Schools that wish to continue using these services for email and collaboration can do so while relying on CReSED locally for logins, file storage, and offline continuity. This hybrid arrangement is common and deliberate — the aim is not to replace existing investments, but to provide a more resilient foundation beneath them.
Every CReSED device ships with twenty-five industry-standard STEM applications already installed and ready to use. These are not simplified "school versions" or locked-down trial copies. They are the same programs used in undergraduate engineering, science, computer science, design, and geoscience courses across Australia and around the world.
A student learning Python in Year 9 carries those skills into a data science degree. A student using Arduino and FreeCAD in secondary school arrives at an engineering program already familiar with the software. This is as much an equity issue as a technical one — metropolitan schools with budgets for proprietary STEM licences have always had this advantage. CReSED brings it to every school by default.
Multiple languages, IDEs, and version-control tools equivalent to those used in first-year undergraduate study.
Full statistical environments, notebook-based workflows, and visualisation tools.
Microcontroller development, circuit simulators, and PCB design software.
Parametric modelling, 3D animation, and rendering used across industrial design.
Symbolic computation, interactive geometry, and numerical analysis tools.
Geographic information systems, astronomy simulators, and earth-science visualisation.
Simulation environments, molecular visualisers, and laboratory measurement tools.
3D-printing slicers, laser-cutter preparation, and CNC toolpath generators.
A complete list of the twenty-five programs is available on request, and the collection is reviewed each year against current Australian university curricula.
The following software is pre-installed and fully functional on every CReSED device, alongside the twenty-five STEM programs listed above. All programs are selected for reliability, ease of use, and offline capability. There are no additional licences to purchase, no subscription renewals, and no add-on fees.
| Category | Program | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Office | LibreOffice Suite | Word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations. Fully compatible with Microsoft file formats. |
| Browser | Firefox | Secure, private, and fully compatible with Google Drive, Teams, and web-based school platforms. |
| Thunderbird | Unified inbox and calendar with phishing protection and group email alias support. | |
| Design | GIMP | Professional image editor for photography, digital art, and design subjects. |
| Video | OpenShot | Non-linear video editor with transitions, audio tracks, and web or USB export. |
| Audio | Audacity | Multitrack audio editor for podcasts, music, and media production. |
| Utilities | PDF reader, file manager, screenshot tools | The everyday tools that should be there without having to install them. |
| Extensibility | Progressive Web Apps | Web applications such as Canva, Zoom, and Google Docs can be added as desktop icons. |
CReSED uses a fraction of the system resources required by modern commercial operating systems. In practice, this means a school computer that previously struggled with Windows 10 or 11 can run CReSED comfortably for another five years or more. This efficiency is the foundation of both the platform's performance gains and its sustainability case.
On a typical 2014-era classroom PC that takes several minutes to become usable under Windows 10, the same computer running CReSED reaches the desktop in under thirty seconds and runs office, coding, and multimedia applications smoothly. Teachers commonly describe the experience as comparable to using a new machine.
The underlying architecture isolates system files from user data and does not share the attack surface that most malware targets. Traditional antivirus software is not required. System and security updates are applied automatically, without pop-ups, forced reboots, or mid-lesson interruptions.
Every device in the school behaves identically. Students logging in to any classroom computer see the same familiar desktop, the same shared drives, and the same files. Teachers can trust that lessons will start on time, without the usual variation between individual machines.
All files, accounts, and backups are stored on the school's local server or drives. Nothing is sent externally unless the school explicitly connects a cloud service. Stored data is encrypted, and administrative access can be protected with multi-factor authentication.
By optimising performance on older devices, CReSED allows schools to keep their computers in active use for another three to five years — in many cases longer than that.
The manufacturing of a new laptop produces emissions equivalent to several years of its use. Reusing existing hardware directly avoids those emissions and reduces demand for new materials.
Refurbished school devices can be passed on to families, homework clubs, or community groups, extending access to technology and strengthening ties between schools and their wider communities.
Every deployment contributes measurably to e-waste reduction and to the circular-economy targets set out in Australian federal and state policy.
Every CReSED subscription includes email and live-chat support during Australian business hours, handled directly by our team. If an issue needs to be escalated to phone, Zoom, remote desktop, or on-site assistance, those sessions are billed separately at a transparent hourly rate. This keeps the core subscription predictable and ensures schools only pay for deeper intervention when they genuinely need it.
Most schools never escalate. The ones that do, only occasionally — and only for a reason.
For day-to-day questions, configuration queries, and general help. Most issues are resolved without needing to escalate.
For schools that need a direct conversation, remote assistance, or someone on-site. Billed per session, transparent rates.
Schools that prefer a single point of contact can arrange priority support through one of our certified local partners, who provide phone, remote, and on-site assistance within their region. Details are available on request.
CReSED is offered as an annual subscription, priced per device. The per-device rate reduces as the device count increases, so larger schools and school systems pay proportionally less per machine. All prices are in Australian dollars and include the operating system, every program listed on this page, automatic updates, and standard support.
| Tier | Per device / year | Annual total (up to) | Typically suits |
|---|---|---|---|
Small School Up to 50 devices |
$39.95per device / year | up to $1,997 | Smaller primary schools, remote schools, and specialist settings. |
Standard School 51 – 100 devices |
$34.95per device / year | up to $3,495 | Most Australian primary schools and smaller secondary schools. |
Large School 101 – 250 devices |
$27.95per device / year | up to $6,987 | Secondary schools, K–12 schools, and larger primary campuses. |
Multi-Campus 251 – 500 devices |
$21.95per device / year | up to $10,975 | Larger K–12 schools, small independent networks, dioceses. |
System / Region 501 – 1,000 devices |
$16.95per device / year | up to $16,950 | Independent school groups, Catholic systems, regional clusters. |
Department / State 1,000+ devices |
Customscoped per site | — | State departments of education, multi-region deployments. |
The operating system, all bundled software, the 25 STEM programs, automatic updates, the teacher administration dashboard, and standard email and live-chat support.
Licences can be activated entirely offline for rural and remote schools with limited connectivity. Connected schools validate automatically through a secure Australian server.
Backup & Recovery Appliance — $695 once-off. Plug-in recovery unit for server data, enabling automated local backup and full-system restoration in minutes.
CReSED is not a fixed product. It is a long-term education platform with a structured roadmap and an ongoing feedback relationship with the schools using it. The development priorities below reflect the current focus of the project.
We are happy to answer questions from principals, business managers, IT coordinators, teachers, or departmental staff. An initial conversation carries no commitment and no expectation of a pilot or purchase. It is simply an opportunity to discuss whether CReSED is a good fit for your school's circumstances.
Schools interested in the Founding Schools Program — forty per cent off year one, twenty per cent off year two — are particularly welcome. We are looking for ten to fifteen schools across different contexts (primary, secondary, metropolitan, regional, remote) to become reference sites for the platform.