EdX, the not-for-profit online learning venture founded by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), today announced an agreement with VMware, Inc., the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, under which all students enrolled in HarvardX’s course CS50x: Introduction to Computer Science will receive VMware Fusion 5 and VMware Workstation 9 to use for the duration of the course at no cost.

“We’re very excited to join edX in its mission to deliver high quality online education,” said Dr. Stephen Herrod, VMware Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President of Research & Development. “By providing VMware Fusion and VMware Workstation products to all CS50x students at no cost, we’re helping to remove the barriers to obtaining a top-flight computer science education online. Students around the world will get to use the world’s best virtualization products to support their learning.”

CS50x is Harvard College's introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science and the art of programming for majors and non-majors alike, with or without prior programming experience. An entry-level course taught by David J. Malan, CS50x teaches students how to think algorithmically and solve problems efficiently. Topics include abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web development.

“To ensure that all students have access to a standardized computing environment, the CS50x instructors have developed the CS50x Appliance – a virtual machine that is preconfigured with the OS and software that students will need to complete their CS50x assignments,” said Anant Agarwal, President of edX. “Thanks to the generous support of VMware, students will be able to run the exact same software whether they have a Mac, or PC running Windows or Linux.”

Through edX, the "X Universities" – which now includes UC Berkeley and The University of Texas System in addition to founding institutions Harvard and MIT – will provide interactive education wherever there is access to the Internet. EdX will enhance teaching and learning through research about how students learn, and how technologies can facilitate effective teaching both on-campus and online. EdX plans to add other "X Universities" from around the world to the edX platform in the coming months.